Resilience tech

Kids

Adversity

chaosecological threat

social interactions

World viewSocial theory

trust/safetyvigilancedefense

SNSHPA

biological defense responses• neural remodeling• inflammation & impaired antiviral resp.• niche selection (smoke, alcohol, activity)

Disease

How do we measure?How do we change?

connection

purpose

control

3 questions of recent interest:

How powerful is psychological resilience in biological health?

How can we measure “threat” and “resilience”?

How can we change them?

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Nepali former child soldiers

Nepal child soldier study PI: Dr. Brandon KohrtN = 254 blood sampled in 2013, at age 15-26 yrs, 46% female7 years out from war’s end in 200652% former child soldier (1/4 combat exposure), 48% civilian child control11% significant post-traumatic stress symptoms

Lonely

Integrated

How not to live

How should we live?

How often do you feel happy?

How often do you feel satisfied?

Keyes MHC-SF - Hedonic

Life has direction and meaning?

Grow and become a better person? Keyes MHC-SF – Eudaimonic

Fredrickson et al., PNAS, 2013

FOSFOSBFOSL1FOSL2JUNJUNBJUNDNFKB1NFKB2RELRELARELB

Infla

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Ab/IFN

Eudaimonic

Hedonic

IL1AIL1BIL6IL8TNFPTGS1PTGS2

IGJ IGLL1 IGLL3

GBP1 IFI16 IFI27 IFI27L1 IFI27L2 IFI30 IFI35 IFI44 IFI44L IFI6 IFIH1 IFIT1 IFIT1L IFIT2 IFIT3 IFIT5

IFITM1 IFITM2 IFITM3 IFITM4P IFITM5 IFNB1 IRF8 IRF2 IRF7 MX1 MX2 OAS1 OAS2 OAS3 OASL

Favorable

Adverse

Fredrickson et al., PNAS, 2013


Does psychological resilience really matter for biological health?

How can we measure the “threat psychology” that drives effects of adversity?

Just listen better…

Don’t ask.

Ignore the content.

Pay attention to the

style.

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Natural language markers of “threat/safety” gene expression

Emory CALM study PIs: Dr. Charles Raison, Tad Pace, Matthias MehlN = 144, blood sampled in 2012, age 25-56 yrs, 66% femaleMostly Emory University staffEAR data from 1-week baseline period of a subsequent RCT of mindfulness vs compassion meditation

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Does psychological resilience really matter for biological health?

How can we measure the “threat psychology” that drives effects of adversity?

How can we change threat psychology?

Cultivating positive leukocytes

Cognitive-behavioralAntoni et al. (2012) Biological Psychiatry 71:366–372

Mindfulness Creswell et al. (2012) Brain, Behavior, & Immunity 26:1095-1101

Relaxation response / mindfulnessBhasin et al. (2013) PLoS ONE, 8:e62817

Yogic meditation Qu et al. (2013) PLoS ONE, 8:e61910Black et al. (2013) Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38:348-55

YogaBower et al. (2014) Psychoneuroendocrinology, 43:20-29

Tai ChiIrwin et al. (2014) Journal of the National Cancer Institute, in press.

What if you can’t stand… medication? Or meditation?

Maybe try just being nice!

Goetz et al., Psychological Bulletin, 2010Porges, Psychophysiology, 1995Porges, Int J Psychophys, 2001

Adversity

ChaosEcological threat

Social hx/intx

trust/safetyvigilancedefense

SNSHPA

Biological defense responses• neural remodeling• inflammation / GCR• niche selection (smoke, alc, activity)

Disease

PurposeConnection

Control

Technology

sector eval: apps benchmarking study new metrics: biomarkers/genomics

state analytics- natural language- big data

websystems: UCB Greater Good in Action mobile apps: RULER Mood Meter videogames: Re-Mission 2

SMS text: Text2Connect wearables: Zamzee 2G & mApp

2. selection: evaluation infrastructure

1. mutation: tech development infrastructure

Accelerating the evolution of resilience technology








1. Shrink the scope of work2. Get lots of ideas3. Pick a favorite OR combine features

As described in Decisive (2013),by Chip Heath & Dan Heath







1. Shrink the scope of work2. Get lots of ideas3. Pick a favorite OR combine features4. Who decides?

Download from the App Store:Mood Meter—Building your emotional intelligence





























Attentional path to Eudaimonia: direct attention away from the self, and outward, toward others and the world around us.

How can we increase eudaimonic well-being?The happiness that comes from having a sense of purpose and meaning in life….

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

~Simone Weil















Apps benchmarking study 2014

Assessed for Eligibilty

Randomized

> 18 years oldEnglish fluent

Own iPhone, iOS ≥ 6.0

App-1Live Happy

[happiness]n=20

App-2Happier

[happiness]n=20

App-3GPS-4-Soul

[mindfulness]n=20

App-4Calm

[mindfulness]n=20

App-4Weird Facts

[control]n=20

Day 42 Survey, T3

Baseline

Mid-Study Assessments

End Study

Informed Consent

Day 0 Survey, T0

Dispense App

Day 10 Survey, T1

Day 20 Survey, T2

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Emory CALM study PIs: Dr. Charles Raison, Tad Pace, Matthias MehlN = 144, blood sampled in 2012, age 25-56 yrs, 66% femaleMostly Emory University staffEAR data from 1-week baseline period of a subsequent RCT of mindfulness vs compassion meditation

EAR Meta Function wordsEAR Code

* **

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Resilience scale – culturally adapted for Nepal1. I am able to depend on myself more than anyone else2. I can be on my own if I have to3. I usually take things in stride4. I feel that I can handle many things at a time5. I am determined6. I can usually find something to laugh about7. My belief in myself gets me through hard times8. I have enough energy to do what I have to do9. I am resilient

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Emory CALM study PIs: Dr. Charles Raison, Tad Pace, Matthias MehlN = 119, genes = 41blood sampled in 2012, age 25-55 yrs, 68% femaleMostly Emory University staff

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UNC SOBC2 studyPI: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson

N = 91, genes = 52blood sampled in 2013-2014, age 35-67 yrs, 73% female

Chapel Hill adults, UNC staff

Effect of meditation on CTRA gene expression

SummaryA mobile app that allows users to collect and share happy moments with people they care about. Users share moments and things in their lives that make them happier and can record 3 positive things a day that make them happy.

How does is work?The application lets you choose from several different happiness promoting activities or by taking a quiz will suggest the best ones for you. The app provides information as to why and how the particular activity promotes happiness and about the different personality traits.

App-1 [happiness]Live Happy

Examples of Activities

App-2 [happiness]Happier

SummaryA mobile happiness boosting program that provides user’s with insight on their personality traits and provides exercises to boost gratitude, optimism and social connections.

How does is work?A user posts something, with our with a photo, that made them happy, such as a yummy taco or a visit with a friend. A user can push out the post to Facebook or Twitter and tag friends who are also members of the Happier community. Posts from other users can be browsed and commented on or liked.

App-3 [mindfulness]GPS for the Soul

SummaryA mobile mindfulness boosting program that gives sensor feedback on current physical state (stressed or calm) and provides guides for shifting your state through reflection or meditation.

How does is work?A user can opt to go straight to one of the many provided guides or first measure their current state before starting a guide. The phone’s camera is used as a photoplethysmograph and a user is told if they are stressed or calm. A user can also create a custom guide with their own music, photos and quotes or use a custom guide created and shared by another user.

App-4 [mindfulness]Calm

SummaryA mobile app for meditation with images and sounds of nature.

How does is work?The user choses a nature image to serve as the background. Each image has the natural associated sounds, such as rain, waves or a breeze blowing through a field. The user can then customize the length of the mediation session and if they want to activate the sleep mode. A user can also opt for a guided meditation that focus on breath or posture.

App-5 [control condition]Weird Facts

SummaryA mobile app that serves up one of 1000 an odd fact each time you open it.

How does is work?When you open the app a random fact is on the screen. A user can opt to scroll through the pages of 1000 facts or can close the app and be served up a different fact next time they open the app. That is all it does.



“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

~Simone Weil


Tomorrow, you are to perform three nice things for others, all three in one day.

Tomorrow, you are to perform three nice things to improve the world, all three in one day.

Tomorrow, you are to perform three nice things for yourself, all three in one day.

Tomorrow, as you go about your day, please keep track of your activities. Do not alter your routine in any way; simply keep track of what you do.


Psychology Department Subject Pool

(n = 152)

Amazon Mechanical Turk(n = 154)

Community(n = 154)

Others(n = 120)

World(n = 118)

Self(n = 118)

Control(n = 116)

Positive emotionsEudaimonic well-being

Social well-being

Week 1 Week 5 Week 73.0

3.2

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Eudaimonic well-being

Attention as a key resource for resilience #2

Direct attention toward others, to support empathy, compassion, connection and the good personal health that comes from eudaimonic well-being.

Next step: Gene expression profiling blood in UC Riverside random acts of kindness study.

Next step: EAR language markers of PCC.

Next step: mTech attentional interventions.(S. Konrath, E. Falk, L. Weiss)

Natural language markers of “threat/safety” gene expression

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Emory CALM study PIs: Dr. Charles Raison, Tad Pace, Matthias MehlN = 144, blood sampled in 2012, age 25-56 yrs, 66% femaleMostly Emory University staffEAR data from 1-week baseline period

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Mehl language threat marker results

Good CTRA: • more “they” less “we” and “I”• Also: more conjunctions, less articles & adverbs• Also: more DeepConvo, less TV; more talking, more

alone• New non-conscious objective metrics for impact.

• Language is the primary medium of community. • And it is the primary interface to individual psychology. As long as we don’t get too

self-conscious about it. Which is exactly what happens in questionnaires.

Health & Medicine

Resilience tech