We recently discovered a great website from the American Psychological Association.  The APA Help Center “is your online resource for brochures, tips and articles on the psychological issues that affect your physical and emotional well-being, as well as information about referrals.”

One of the best things about the Help Center is that it’s a one-stop source of accurate, up-to-date information on psychological health and policy.  The site provides answers to frequently asked questions and even has a resource center for reporters.  This is our new go-to place for verified statistics and definitive answers to common questions about psychological well-being.

Props to the APA for putting everything together in one spot!
Topic areas on the site include:

Work and School

Family and Relationships

Health and Emotional Wellness

Disasters and Terrorism

Managed Care and Health Insurance

Facts and Statistics

Do you have any favorite resources on the web for psychological health information?  Support for patients or facts and statistics for reporters?  Feel free to share in the comments section.

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In today’s New York Times, Robert Allen recounts how “a recent meta-analysis of 44 prospective studies in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology confirms a strong relationship between anger and both the onset and outcome from coronary heart disease; moreover, approximately 1.5 percent of heart attacks are “triggered” by intense anger.”  And that’s the most basic type of relationship.  Most of us are perfectly comfortable with the idea that anger can be bad for you.

But did you know that optimistic people are less likely to get sick from the cold?  Dr. Sheldon Cohen, at Carnegie Melon, has become recognized for his work linking psychological factors like stress, social support network and optimism to susceptibility from disease.  His highest-profile research involves exposing people to the cold virus — a controlled amount of virus in a controlled setting — and predicting who will become sick based on factors like their optimism and psychological resources.  Dr. Cohen’s work is starting to get more and more recognition.  Just last week he delivered the 2009 Contributions in Positive Health Award Lecture at the First World Congress on Positive Psychology.

The connection between physical health and psychological factors is just the beginning.  This study of positive psychical health represents one of the primary focuses of positive psychology, moving forward.  At the recent World Congress on Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman and other thought-leaders argue that positive psychology ought to be about more than the study of happiness: we should study positive health, positive education and the science of flourishing.

happier.com is a personal trainer for your happiness. With more than a dozen tools and tests to help you measure, track and improve your happiness, you can trust the happier.com experts to help you reach your goals. Exclusive videos and a popular blog mean there’s something new to learn every day. Download the free iPhone application or find what you’re looking for with the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. happier.com is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter and has meetup groups in Washington, Philadelphia, and Portland, with more planned. Click here for a social media press release from our launch.