Researchers from Harvard and other universities studied how social networks affect someone’s happiness. The study concluded that happiness behaves like a virus and spreads from one person to another even without direct contact.

Five thousand subjects participated in the survey together with their 50000 connections of family, officemates, friends, and other acquaintances. The proponents asked these people about subjective perception of happiness for the last two decades.

The British Medical Journal cites in a study that the happiness of one person is affected by others around him. One can be happy towards a person and that person’s might spread to his uncle, auntie, and other people. Unhappiness on the other hand does not spread as fast.

According to the new study, the key to being happy is being near with friends who are happy. It also shows that the effect of happiness on others decay with distance. You are 42% most likely to be happy if your friend lives less than a mile from you. A distance of more than 2 miles decreases the chances to 22%. Smiling is great, and it takes away the need for quite a few types of psychological health care help.

Influencing someone is a lot easier. If you are happy, they will be happy. Happiness is known to decrease the chances of heart problems, pain, and even the mortality rate.

Smile.

Statistics published in some journals also show that only 50 % of heart doctors monitor and treat their patients for fighting their depression. It also states that not all patients diagnosed with depression are getting proper care and treatment.

Depression may play a major role in the quality of life of a heart patient. Untreated depression may result to poorer daily practices like skipping of prescribed medications, not following of the designed rehabilitation program, or not following the recommended diet.

The study also emphasized the importance of the participation of the whole health care team to determine if the patient is suffering from depression.

Experts suggest asking two basic questions to determine a potential occurrence of depression. First is to ask if the heart patient has lost his interest or drive in doing things. Second is to ask if the patient felt unmotivated, hopeless, or depressed. An affirmative answer to one or both questions signifies depression.

Depending on the severity of the condition, doctors may recommend antidepressants or refer them to a professional mental expert for therapy.

Psychiatrists, on the long term, want to see how heart patients with depression will do or cope. They also endorse following the recommendation of the heart association pushing for screening and close monitoring of heart patients for depression.

The study also noted that patients who experience depression may seek consult but not all of these people will complete the recommended therapy sessions to fight depression.