Positive Thinking May Reduce Depression in Girls

Previous research says those who are born to mothers with depression have a higher incidence of developing depression.  Depressed people have intense bodily reactions such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.In an experiment at Stanford, researchers showed the girls upsetting picture and measured stress response.  They then had the girls use positive thinking to lower their own stress response. The girls were shocked when they were able to do that successfully.A second study showed two faces on a computer screen – one negative and one positive. They were instructed to click on the positive one, which produced two more similar photos. By repeating this they were able to learn to choose the positive over the negative. Follow-up studies proved with these girls there is a potential to prevent depression by helping recognize the power of their own thoughts to change emotions.Girls can change how they react to negative situations and reduce their own stress levels. Researches say this brings hope that we can prevent to onset of the first depressive episode.(Source)