All In The Mind

Most people tend to think of autism as a male disorder, the character in the film Rain Man often comes to mind. But emerging research shows that girls often have different symptoms which cause them to slip through the net.

Are children are more anxious these days? There’s no way to be really sure, but according to some researchers anxiety is one of the more common mental health problems that kids are facing.

Happiness—it’s elusive, ephemeral, and greatly desired. But how do you nail it? One writer in New York created a personal ‘Happiness Project’. After intensive research, she spent one year becoming a happier version of herself, and some of the discoveries surprised her.

Imagine being in your 40s and having a diagnosis of dementia—at the prime of your life. Twenty years ago this happened to Christine Bryden. Despite having difficulty remembering what she’s doing—often from one minute to the next—she’s applied her extraordinary insight into the disease for the benefit of others.

Scientists and philosophers have been perplexed by our sense of the self for millennia. Now, by investigating neurological conditions which disrupt the self—such as body identity disorder, schizophrenia, and the doppelganger effect—neuroscience is finding new clues.

Psychological abuse is part and parcel of the unacceptable level of family violence—it’s particularly challenging to recognise and often hidden behind closed doors. This week a family therapist casts light on the manipulative narcissistic techniques used by some perpetrators.

Women experience depression twice as much as men, and four times as much anxiety—yet their mental health has not had high priority. Biological, social and psychological factors mean that men and women experience mental illness differently, so why shouldn’t gender be considered when developing treatments?

Remember the Rolling Stones hit Mothers Little Helper? The song reflected the massive increase in the use of benzodiazepines during the early 1960s—particularly those under the brand name of Valium. We discuss the addictive nature of benzos, and how to manage them.

Our relationship with music begins at birth, if not before, and plays a role in the formation of our identity when we are young. Now a heart-warming movement called Music & Memory is creating personalised music playlists for residents with dementia in nursing homes—who use their mobile device to hear it.