Kindness in the blood: A randomized controlled trial of the gene regulatory impact of prosocial behavior

@article{NelsonCoffey2017KindnessIT,
  title={Kindness in the blood: A randomized controlled trial of the gene regulatory impact of prosocial behavior},
  author={S. Katherine Nelson-Coffey and Megan M. Fritz and Sonja Lyubomirsky and Steve W. Cole},
  journal={Psychoneuroendocrinology},
  year={2017},
  volume={81},
  pages={8-13}
}
CONTEXT Prosocial behavior is linked to longevity, but few studies have experimentally manipulated prosocial behavior to identify the causal mechanisms underlying this association. One possible mediating pathway involves changes in gene expression that may subsequently influence disease development or resistance. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS In the current study, we examined changes in a leukocyte gene expression profile known as the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) in… 
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57 Citations
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Methods Citations
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57 Citations

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Citation Type

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Examination of the impact of a 9-month intergenerational helping intervention on conserved transcriptional response to adversity gene expression profiles suggests that the GenX program may have favorable effects on immune cell gene regulation.
Kindness and cellular aging: A pre-registered experiment testing the effects of prosocial behavior on telomere length and well-being
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The salubrious effects of prosocial behavior in the short term are not likely due to the inhibition of cellular aging (at least as indexed by telomere length), however, extending kindness to others holds promise as a future research direction for interventions to alleviate loneliness.
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Individual differences that may shape the effects of doing kind acts for others on well-being during adolescence are identified, and altruism emerged as a significant moderator such that altruistic adolescents in the Kindness to Others condition showed increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and decreased stress.
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Results are consistent with the hypothesis that eudaimonic well-being may be an important mechanism in interventions aimed at enhancing health in vulnerable groups, and contribute to the understanding of how psychological well- being may influence physical health in cancer patients.
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TLDR
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TLDR
Findings suggest that caregiving-related transcriptional effects appear to be most pronounced when caregivers experience low social support and loneliness, as well as little meaning or purpose in their caregiving.
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Preliminary evidence is provided for the ability of a novel, low-cost,low-effort intervention to favorably impact inflammation and well-being in older women.
Positive mental well-being and immune transcriptional profiles in highly involved videogame players
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Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that committed social/recreational activity may help damp CTRA expression especially among persons who are already experiencing some kind of threshold of positive eudaimonic experience.
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