What Our Wandering Thoughts Can Teach Us About Mental Health
What Our Wandering Thoughts Can Teach Us About Mental Health
University of Arizona researchers analyzed idle thoughts for 10 minutes. What they learned may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues such as depression.
Mikayla Mace Kelley
Today
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Some people find idle time with their thoughts productive and creative, while others have a tendency to ruminate.HealthScience and TechnologyCollege of ScienceCOVID-19ExpertsScience
Media contact(s)Mikayla Mace Kelley
Science Writer, University Communicationsmikaylamace@arizona.edu520-621-1878
Researcher contact(s)Jessica Andrews-Hanna
Department of Psychologyjandrewshanna@email.arizona.eduWhere does your mind wander when you have idle time? A University of Arizona-ledstudy published in Scientific Reports may offer some clues, and the findings reveal a surprising amount about our mental health.78 participants were trained to voice their thoughts aloud for 10 minutes while sitting alone in a room without access to electronic devices. Researchers used audio equipment to record those thoughts, then transcribed the recordings and analyzed them for content. In total, more than 2,000 thoughts were analyzed." We wanted to mimic the small breaks we have throughout the day, such as when waiting in line at a caf é, taking a shower, lying in bed at night and so on. These are all times during which external demands are minimal and internal thoughts tend to creep in, " said f...
Source: The University of Arizona: Health - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: mikaylamace Source Type: research
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