Posted on 03/30/2021
2 min read
Feeling happy can be particularly difficult, especially in these times of Covid-19. A new study from the University of Bristol shows that you can achieve this state of satisfaction … if you take the trouble to study it like any other academic subject. And it works. This “science of happiness” course would have been beneficial for the mental health of the students.
How to be happy? If the question has taken on particular importance since the start of the pandemic, it has been at the heart of the concerns of professors at the University of Bristol since 2018. At the time, the university launched a course devoted to the “science of happiness” in response to a worrying increase in mental health problems among UK students.
This module, inspired by a course given at the American Yale University, has two parts, one theoretical, the other practical. Students attend classes on the psychology and neuroscience of happiness, but also have to complete tasks that may make them happier, such as chatting with a stranger, writing a thank you letter, and attending “happiness hubs”. happiness”). At the end of the training, they receive 20 academic credits, or one sixth of what they need to complete their first year.
Consult a therapist online
1000 students in three years
Three years after its launch, a new study shows that this “science of happiness” course has improved the mental health of participating students. And this, before and during the pandemic. British researchers noticed that the mental well-being of a first cohort of students, who completed the three-month training at the end of 2019, was significantly higher than that of a control group.
They also found that those who attended the course at the onset of the pandemic did not feel happier but were more “resilient” than average students. Results indicating that “participation in a psycho-educational course on happiness has protective effects on mental well-being during a time of collective uncertaintyThey note. They were confirmed by studying a third group of individuals who recently took the online course, including people working at the University of Bristol. A large majority of them (82 , 8%) say that the training had a positive effect on their well-being.
Although this academic study has limitations, Professor Bruce Hood said to himself “stunned“to discover the positive impact of this module on student mental health.”At first I thought that any benefits of the course would be wiped out by the stress of the pandemic and the lack of social interaction. This has happened to other students, but those who took the online version of the course still benefited, even though the lectures and ‘happiness hubs’ were virtual. This study proves that learning to be happy can improve your mental well-being“, explains the professor, who directs the module on the” science of happiness “.
Another proof of its success: nearly 1,000 students from the University of Bristol have already registered since its launch in 2018.
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