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The spirit of our times
How many people do you know who claim to be ‘spiritual but not religious’? Anecdotally at least, it would seem this category accounts for an increasing proportion among our number, with membership derived from those who formerly belonged to (or at least whose families formerly belonged to) religious denominations. I recently came across a fascinating…
Don’t be fooled by the DSM-V
We can pretty much take it as read – indeed many of us may know first hand – that as we get older our brains start to slow down a little. Losing a name here and there, being a little slower to pick up on a complicated idea – this is known as par for…
Mental health, global style
It can’t have escaped anyone’s notice that we are now living in a global world, driven by international directives, legislation and so-called ‘thought leadership’. It does make me wonder, where exactly HQ is and, more importantly, who’s the boss. Mental health has now come under global scrutiny, with a new report published jointly by Mind…
The truth about workplace stress in Britain
Do you ever feel like your email inbox is your worst enemy? These days, it’s almost the norm for organisations and individuals to engage the services of productivity consultants and enrol on courses that go by names like ‘Getting your inbox back into shape’. How interesting that the technology that was supposed to simplify and…
Why do we self-harm?
Self-harm, like so many physical manifestations of the growing psychological distress in our world, is on the increase, according to a new survey among young people conducted by four self-harm support groups, and referred to yesterday on Radio 4’s The World at One. Figures from the NHS in England show that 11% more young people…
A Cambridge research first in teenage male depression
It probably comes as no surprise, just from looking within our own circles of acquaintance, that depression and anxiety among our young is on the increase. According to the Centers for Disease Control in the States, 81% of deaths from suicide between the ages of 10 and 24 occur in males – that might be America, but…
One sure-fire cure for depression
The current debate in The Netherlands around doctor-assisted suicide for depression sends a shiver down my spine. It’s all been triggered by a controversial new clinic, the pragmatically named Life-Ending Clinic, which is now proudly ending the lives of people with chronic depression. Clinic Director, Steven Pleiter, has said: “We consider it self-evident that someone…
Talk is cheap – or is it?
I guess you all know that yesterday marked the first ever outing of Time to Talk Day, described on the official website as ’24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, and neither is talking about it.’ The…
