Study: Stress can have positive health benefits on positive minded

The Wall Street Journal (2/21, A6, Wang, Subscription Publication, 2.29M) reports a study by researchers at Columbia University, Yale University and other institutions found that stress can have positive effects on the body and mind, depending on how the person internalizes it. The research shows that negative stress can hurt the body, but it can also increase the immune system and accelerate brain processing. Dr. Alia Crum, the author of the study that will be published online in March in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, studied 300 investment bankers were stressed because their company had recently went through a round of layoffs. The researchers divided the groups into half who viewed stress as debilitating and half who saw it is helpful. After a week, researchers found those with a positive mindset reported fewer health issues and performed better at work than the negative mindset group.