Media release

From:

Comment from study author Steven Davey:

"In order to manage or regulate our emotions, it is important to be aware we are experiencing them. Visceral changes (such as heart rate) occur early in emotional responses and can serve as cues as to when and how to deal with them. A key contribution of our study is the finding that learning to attend to our bodies - in particular, the gut - may improve the ability to deal with and act upon our emotions. This ability, referred to as "emotion regulation", is already known to be essential for good mental health (i.e., preventing mental illness or reducing its impact). Further, the simple training used in our study may provide the foundation of an easily administered mental health intervention, or a tool for prevention."