To your health and happiness

screen%2bshot%2b2014 11 28%2bat%2b12.02.16.png

As you pop that last frond of parsley into your alfalfa and wheat grass shake, ask yourself a question: am I happy? Hopefully, the answer is yes and you’ll down that nutritional depth charge, slam the glass back down on the table and dash out for a 10km run with spring in your stride and…

Read More

Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown?

screen%2bshot%2b2014 11 21%2bat%2b11.51.03.png

A new piece of research from the Psychology Department of the University of Texas in Austin suggests that women in positions of authority in the workplace may be more likely than others to experience symptoms of depression. Interestingly, the paper, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, entitled Gender, Job Authority and Depression…

Read More

How smart are smart drugs?

screen%2bshot%2b2014 11 14%2bat%2b12.17.24.png

You can’t blame anyone for wanting to have the cognitive edge, for wanting to be that little bit smarter. Especially students, who it is claimed have been turning to so-called ‘smart’ drugs, like modafinil, to increase their chances of exam success, at a rate of about one in five, But new research from the University…

Read More

Children and mental health in the digital age

screen%2bshot%2b2014 11 05%2bat%2b15.42.14.png

A recent report issued by the Commons Health Committee paints a grim picture of the situation on the ground for the mental health of children in the United Kingdom. The report notes a radical increase in the number of children seeking help for mental health problems (25% to 30% a year) and links it to…

Read More

The healing power of psychotherapy

screen%2bshot%2b2014 10 30%2bat%2b16.09.24.png

Some people approach the whole notion of psychotherapy with skepticism, which may be down to a number of factors. But for those of us who have experienced life-changing results from an ongoing commitment to psychotherapy (specially with a gifted practitioner who has overcome similar challenges), the findings of a recent study will come as no…

Read More

How’s your memory?

screen%2bshot%2b2014 10 24%2bat%2b15.13.19.png

That’s the question General Practitioners will increasingly be asking patients over fifty, only now it will take on a whole new meaning. This is in line with the news that GPs will now be rewarded £55 for each successful dementia diagnosis. Dementia is being underdiagnosed, according to health authorities, who claim that only half the…

Read More

A new resource for sex and love addiction

screen%2bshot%2b2014 10 14%2bat%2b12.38.29.png

Sex and love addiction is one of those which can often slip under the radar, in the face of other more pressing addictions, like alcohol or drug dependency. But dig deep enough and it’s not uncommon to find addiction to sex and/or so-called ‘love’ at the root of manifest relational difficulties. A new book, Coming Off…

Read More

A model approach to psychotic illness?

screen%2bshot%2b2014 10 08%2bat%2b11.56.05.png

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia have developed a model that could help to predict the trajectory of a psychiatric patient’s illness, thereby enabling more effective treatment. Professor Bernhard Baune, Head of Psychiatry, says that the new model takes account of ten years of research in the field, and was formulated by reviewing…

Read More

Is suicide perfectly understandable?

brett jordan fp4erdkr5ju unsplash

  As we’ve reported previously, suicide is a problem in our modern world (you can read more about it here). In 2012, the average suicide rate in the UK was around 12 per 100,000 of population, with the highest rate among men between ages 40 and 44. The US Center for Disease Control and prevention put…

Read More

A new treatment for complicated grief

screen%2bshot%2b2014 09 25%2bat%2b17.34.56.png

By the time any of us reaches a certain age, we’ll have encountered losses – some small, some large. It’s just part of the deal. With the wind behind us, we’ll somehow manage not to be overwhelmed by the emotional fall-out; but not everyone is quite so lucky. For some, a significant loss in later…

Read More