How we think as how we feel: Cognitive and emotional influences on mental health

Plato described Reason and Emotion as two horses pulling a chariot in different directions. Was he right? By the end of this course, you will be able to decide for yourself, based on the latest scientific evidence. You will also be able to explain how your answer reflects, and informs, current research on mental health. In this course, we will start by reading philosophical texts that establish the classical Western view of emotion and cognition as opposing forces. We will then put these views to the test by examining evidence from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. When thoughts and feelings compete, which one wins? Is it ever rational to follow your emotions? How do thoughts and feelings affect perception, memory, and decision-making? We will then turn to practical applications of cognitive-emotional interactions in the field of psychiatry. First, we will examine the implications of biases in perception, memory, and decision-making for mental health. Next, we will introduce cognitive profiles of specific psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and autism. We will also discuss clinical interventions that are informed by cognitive theories of psychiatric disorders, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people change how they feel by changing how they think. Finally, we will examine how the physical body influences thoughts and feelings, with implications for psychiatric disorders. What is the relationship of physical illness to psychiatric illness? Is sleep as good as overnight therapy? Is there a scientific basis for the notion that emotions originate from the heart? By the end of this course, you will be able to describe whether mental well-being arise from the head, the heart, or their interaction.