ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION

(AHRP)

www.ahrp.org

Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav

212-595-8974

e-mail: veracare (at) ahrp.org

FYI

I am happy to announce that a research study confirms my own experience ;)

Reuters reports: "Psychologists at the University of Sussex found that

people who get involved in campaigns, strikes and political demonstrations

experience

an improvement in psychological well-being that can help them overcome

stress, pain, anxiety and depression."

Lilly, Pfizer, Glaxo...PhaRma watch out, the foundation underlying the

anxiety-depression Rx (prescription) is unhinging!

If you care about preserving your personal rights and the freedom to choose

whether to allow anyone to make money experimenting on your person, or to

have access to your DNA, join our efforts.

In 2003 The Alliance for Human Research Protection will be launching the

"Just Say No" campaign! Stay tuned for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Protesting May Be Good for Your Health

REUTERS

Mon December 23, 2002 11:02 AM ET


LONDON (Reuters Health) - Taking part in protests and demonstrations can be

good for your physical and mental health, a new British study suggests.

Psychologists at the University of Sussex found that people who get

involved in campaigns, strikes and political demonstrations experience an

improvement

in psychological well-being that can help them overcome stress, pain,

anxiety and depression.

The finding fits in with other studies suggesting that positive experiences

and feeling part of a group can have beneficial effects on health.

"Collective actions, such as protests, strikes, occupations and

demonstrations, are less common in the UK than they were perhaps 20 years

ago," researcher Dr. John Drury said in a statement.

"The take-home message from this research therefore might be that people

should get more involved in campaigns, struggles and social movements, not

only in the wider interest of social change but also for their own personal

good."

The results emerged from in-depth interviews with nearly 40 activists from

a variety of backgrounds. Between them, they had more than 160 experiences

of collective action involving groups of demonstrators protesting against a

range of issues. These included fox-hunting, environmental damage and

industrial matters.

Volunteers were asked to describe what it was about taking part in such

collective action that made them feel to good.

"Many published activist accounts refer to feelings of encouragement and

confidence emerging from experiences of collective action," said Drury.

"But it is not always clear how and why such empowerment occurs, so we

aimed to

explain what factors within a collective action event contribute to such

feelings."

He said the interviews revealed that the key factors were that participants

felt they had a collective identity with fellow protestors. They also

derived a sense of unity and mutual support from taking part.

Such was the strength of the feelings they experienced that the effects

appear to be sustained over a period of time.

"Empowering events were almost without exception described as joyous

occasions," said Drury. "Participants experienced a deep sense of happiness

and even euphoria in being involved in protest events. Simply recounting

the events in the interview brought a smile to the face of the interviewees."

© Copyright Reuters 2002. All rights reserved.