All in the Mind

By BBC Radio 4

What's All in the Mind about?

The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.

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Supporting a son with schiz...

05.25.2023

Hamish Barclay was a teenager when he was given steroids to treat kidney problems and experienced a rare side effect of psychosis. Now 29, he's lived with a diagnosis of schizophrenia for ten years and thanks to support from his ...

All in the Mind episodes:

05.25.2023 Supporting a son with schizophrenia Hamish Barclay was a teenager when he was given steroids to treat kidney problems and experienced a rare side effect of psychosis. Now 29, he's lived with a diagnosis of schizophrenia for ten years and thanks to support from his ...
05.19.2023 How much empathy should doctors have? A good bedside manner is a wanted quality in healthcare professionals. But as is performing procedures that can be painful or uncomfortable. As medical students train to become doctors, they can experience changes in their levels of empathy; the ability ...
05.09.2023 Do lonely brains see the world differently? Ground-breaking discoveries in neuroscience, psychology and mental health are shared in scientific journals. And this gives them a stamp of approval. Before publication, articles go through rigorous checks by other experts in the field to assess if methods are watertight ...
05.02.2023 Aphasia This week's finalist in the All in the Mind Awards is Sian who's been nominated by her mother Myra who cannot believe how much support she has given her during a manic episode and her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Even ...
04.25.2023 Feeling an unseen presence All in the Mind returns for our 72nd series. An experience hard to put into words but felt by many is the phenomenon of 'presence'. Claudia Hammond hears an account of a fearful-turned-friendly presence from Luke Robertson, an adventurer whose ...
12.27.2022 Can you knit away your worries? Many people say that knitting or crochet helped ease their anxiety during the Covid-19 lockdowns - but what is it about these repetitive, absorbing and creative hobbies that soothe the mind? Claire Anketell set up free Yarn for Mental Health ...
12.20.2022 Fergal Keane and PTSD Fergal Keane describes living with PTSD. For thirty years, Fergal covered some of the most brutal wars for the BBC, including Rwanda, Iraq and Ukraine. Despite having PTSD, he kept going, taking more and more risks until witnessing a massacre ...
12.13.2022 The sudden rise in teenagers developing tics during the pandemic A new study highlights the increase in the number of teenagers - especially girls - developing involuntary physical and vocal tics during the pandemic. Neurologist Professor Jon Stone from the University of Edinburgh explains how they differ from those seen ...
12.06.2022 Can Mental Health Awareness have unintended consequences? Mental health awareness campaigns have reduced stigma and changed attitudes to mental illness, but has the messaging also led to unintended consequences? With the help of a panel consisting of mental health campaigner James Downs, the former director of Time ...
11.29.2022 Devices to aid our memories and safe music for driving With busy lifestyles many turn to devices for aide memoires. Claudia discusses new findings with Dr Sam Gilbert who studies so called ‘offloading’ and gives tips on how best to remember the important things. And a visit to Manchester’s Turn ...
11.22.2022 Diagnosing bipolar disorder and the launch of the 2023 All in the Mind Awards Claudia launches the 2023 All in the Mind Awards with mental health campaigner Marion Janner and actor Maddie Leslay, Chelsea from Radio 4's "The Archers" and a 2018 awards finalist. We ask why it takes nine and a half years ...
11.15.2022 Negotiating a crisis Claudia meets Professor Elizabeth Stokoe author of 'Crisis Talks' whose research shows when preventing a suicide, that words really do matter and can save lives during a crisis. Through analysing real time recordings of actual conversations between people in crisis ...
11.08.2022 Steven Pinker Claudia Hammond meets cognitive scientist and author Steven Pinker. He describes the times we are living in as a pandemic of poppycock and has advice on how to be more rational.
06.28.2022 Urban rewilding for wellbeing, oxytocin and kindness, false alarm crowd panic What amount of biodiversity in our cities is enough to benefit our wellbeing? Good evidence can be hard to come by. Andrea Mechelli, professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at Kings College London, together with landscape architect Joanna Gibbons ...
06.21.2022 One mother's story of the psychological impact on her children of her ex husband's sexual offences They call it "the knock" - when the police are at the door and demand to take away laptops and phones to search for evidence of images of child sexual abuse. Our reporter Jo Morris talks to "Emma" (not her ...
06.14.2022 The Psychology of Regret Claudia Hammond explores the psychology of regret with an audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival. What role do rueful thoughts on "what might have been" play in our lives? Is regret a wasted emotion or does it have some hidden ...
06.07.2022 Breastfeeding Trauma and the Psychology of Awkwardness When breastfeeding goes wrong some women feel guilty that they have failed to do what should come naturally. But Professor Amy Brown from Swansea University says those with the most severe physical and emotional impact could be experiencing trauma, similar ...
05.31.2022 Post-pandemic mental health; navigation ability; conversations with strangers Back in 2020 at height of pandemic lockdown the “ Social Study” a longitudinal study began looking at the psychological and social impact of the pandemic involving over 95,000 UK adults. What started as a 12 week study has now ...
05.24.2022 Gardening and mental health Claudia Hammond reports on a trend which has emerged from the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show this year - a growing number of gardens designed with mental health in mind. So what is it about gardens and nature which makes us ...
05.17.2022 Manifestation; Overconfidence; Radio drama changing attitudes Instagram is awash with people sharing dream homes, holidays, partners and jobs which they claim to have 'manifested' into being. Proponants of manifestation say that thinking positive thoughts attracts tangible positive things into your life. They believe that 'asking the ...
05.10.2022 Treating refugee mental health; Improving personal growth; Dreamachine What role can psychologist play in supporting the mental health of displaced Ukrainians? Millions of people have had to flee either abroad or to other parts of the country and the implications for mental health are huge – not only ...
05.03.2022 Dreams and dreaming; brain scans for personality traits; extrovert listening Many of us tend to dismiss dreams as merely the churning of the brain— but for much of human history, dreams were taken very seriously. Claudia Hammond speaks to Brazilian neuroscientist Sidarta Ribeiro who in his new wide ranging book ...
04.26.2022 How to cope when your child can't When a child is suffering from mental health problems it feels natural for a parent to feel sad and anxious. But when Ursula Saunders' son refused to go to secondary school her life was turned upside down: his problems dominated ...
03.30.2022 The Anatomy of Kindness In the final part of the Anatomy of Kindness, Claudia Hammond and guests ask 'Can Bosses be Kind'? Using evidence from the Kindness Test, the world's largest psychological study into kindness, Claudia starts her quest with Thom Elliot Co-founder of ...
03.23.2022 The Anatomy of Kindness In the Anatomy of Kindness Claudia Hammond asks who we are kind to. Professor Nichola Raihani from University College London says there are circles of connections, so family and friends, work colleagues, neighbours continuing out to everyone on the planet. ...
03.16.2022 The Anatomy of Kindness In the Anatomy of Kindness, a three part documentary series, broadcaster, author and psychologist Claudia Hammond interrogates what it means to be kind, who we are kind to and the benefits of being a kind boss. For the first of ...
03.09.2022 The Anatomy of Kindness Results Claudia Hammond and guests announce the results of the biggest ever public science project on Kindness. With over sixty thousand participants from across the world this unique work helps to fill some of the research gaps and learn more about ...
12.28.2021 Looking inside the minds of our pets - and our relationships with them Delving into animals' minds - and our relationships with them - Claudia Hammond wonders whether our pets care if we get hurt. Would a dog - or even a cat - give a monkey's if their owner fell over? Researchers ...
12.21.2021 Fish Oils for depression, Pain pleasure and a good life, Kindness, Comedy memory Fish oil supplements are often touted as good for your heart health, but a new study finds they may also help fight depression. Alessandra Borsini of King’s College London has been examining the impact of these omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ...
12.14.2021 The power of expectation, Buildings and neurodiversity, Music therapy for Parkinson's The Expectation Effect. Claudia talks to science journalist David Robson about how our reality can be changed by our beliefs, from being able to see more clearly in bright sun if we believe we are wearing good quality sunglasses to ...
12.07.2021 Earworms in sleep, body sensations and image, Louis Wain exhibition Many people listen to music for hours every day, and often near bedtime in the hope of a good night’s sleep. But if you can’t get the tune out of your head could this be counter-productive? In new research, neuropsychologist ...
11.30.2021 Stomach pains and eating disorders and post-Olympic blues. The risk of a teenager developing an eating disorder appears to increase if they had tummy pains in childhood, according to new research from the University of Oxford. Data from families in the Bristol area who took part in the ...
11.23.2021 Depersonalisation disorder; Air pollution and mental health; Counter-messaging Depersonalisation disorder involves feeling completely disconnected from yourself or from reality. It’s among the most common yet under-recognised psychiatric conditions and as such is hard to diagnose. Joe Perkins whose new book Life on Autopilot charts his 14 year experience ...
11.16.2021 Persecutory delusions, engine idling and taxi driver brains Claudia Hammond talks to Daniel Freeman, a clinical psychologist at the University of Oxford about a trial into a new talking treatment for people experiencing persecutory delusions. Called the Feeling Safe programme, the trial has had positive results and has ...
11.09.2021 Does working in the office boost well-being? Many people who were able to work from home have abandoned the office since the start of the pandemic, attending online meetings via social platforms while they balance their home and work lives. We hear from business psychologist Professor Binna ...
08.31.2021 The Kindness Test When was the last time you did something really kind for someone or someone else did something really kind for you? In the Kindness Test Claudia Hammond and guests are looking at the place of kindness in today’s world, asking ...
06.29.2021 All in the Mind Awards ceremony from the Wellcome Collection in London Claudia Hammond hosts the All in the Mind Awards Ceremony from Wellcome Collection in London and meets all the finalists. Back in November we asked you to nominate the person, professional or group who had made a difference to your ...
06.22.2021 The psychology of courage and bravery Claudia Hammond explores the psychology of courage and bravery with an audience at the Cheltenham Science Festival. Why is it that some people are able to keep calm in an emergency and do all the right things whilst others panic ...
06.15.2021 Learning and taking breaks, the awards: Spectrum People, financial strain and pain Claudia is joined by Professor Kavita Vedhara from the University of Nottingham to discuss new research looking at what happens to the brain when it takes a break while learning a new task. They also discuss why the balance between ...
06.08.2021 Autobiographical memory in lockdown; awards; psychosis and nightmares; Dean Burnett How well are our memory systems functioning after lockdown? Cognitive neuroscientist Prof. Catherine Loveday discusses her new preliminary research into recalling individual memories of things we did during 2020. What insights can we gain from their richness? There have been ...
06.01.2021 Connecting older people to cut loneliness. Are moods contagious? Can gratitude change young people's lives? Awards finalist New research using weekly video or phone calls to help older people to identify which activities boost their moods does help to reduce loneliness and depression. Our studio guest Professor Daryl O'Connor from the University of Leeds is impressed by ...
05.25.2021 Entitlement and bad luck; Awards finalist; intermittent fasting and memory Why do some people feel they deserve good fortune - and what happens to them if they expect everything to go their way and then encounter bad luck? Emily Zitek, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Cornell University, discusses her ...
05.18.2021 Voices & personality; Awards; canine jealousy; misophonia - noises that cause anger & anxiety, pink drinks make you run faster What can you learn about personality from someone's voice? Professor Kavita Vedhara talks about some new research. Claudia hears from Poppy who nominated her head of year at sixth form college, Sophie, who helped her through a severe depression. Also ...
05.11.2021 Psychology of soap operas like the Archers; Awards Finalist Checking in with a long-running soap opera can help us psychologically. Claudia Hammond grew up overhearing the Archers as her parents listened - and wants to know what fans get out of the drama. Life-long Archers fans Helen and Marjorie ...
05.04.2021 Pen or keyboard - what's best for notetaking; All in the Mind Awards; USA racist killings and mental health of black Americans The pen is mightier than the laptop when it comes to notetaking. Or so we used to think. Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, breaks the news to Claudia Hammond that one of her favourite studies ...
04.27.2021 Memory under lockdown; Awards finalist StrongMen; Lockdown resilience Claudia Hammond talks to Professor Catherine Loveday of Westminster University about her new research on our memories during lockdown. Have our memories really got worse during the pandemic? And Claudia meets the first of the finalists in the All in ...
12.22.2020 Rapport; Brain health in later life; Changing optimism through lifespan What is the best way of getting on with people at home and at work? Psychologists Emily and Laurence Alison have spent their careers working with the police as they build rapport with suspects, sometimes terrorism suspects or perpetrators of ...
12.15.2020 Racism, awards and hypermobility Claudia Hammond asks why there is little research in the UK into whether childhood racism can cause mental health problems in the future. She is joined by BBC Broadcaster, Rajan Datar, psychiatrist Kam Bhui and Professor Craig Morgan to discuss ...
12.08.2020 Wellcome Trust Mental health initiative; teenage sleep; choices children make What really works when it comes to preventing and dealing with mental health difficulties? Can a world exist in which no one is held back by mental health problems.? That’s the vision of Professor Miranda Wolpert Head of the Mental ...
12.01.2020 Ambiguous Loss; All in the Mind Awards; Pandemic impact on memory; Corpus Callosum Have you ever lost a loved one who was still a part of your life in some way? Did it leave you feeling confused or frozen about how to continue with life? Claudia Hammond examines the distressing phenomenon known as ...

Older episodes

All in the Mind

What's All in the Mind about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

All in the Mind episodes:

Supporting a son with schizophrenia

How much empathy should doctors have?

Do lonely brains see the world differently?

Aphasia

Feeling an unseen presence

Can you knit away your worries?

Fergal Keane and PTSD

The sudden rise in teenagers developing tics during the pandemic

Can Mental Health Awareness have unintended consequences?

Devices to aid our memories and safe music for driving

Diagnosing bipolar disorder and the launch of the 2023 All in the Mind Awards

Negotiating a crisis

Steven Pinker

Urban rewilding for wellbeing, oxytocin and kindness, false alarm crowd panic

One mother's story of the psychological impact on her children of her ex husband's sexual offences

The Psychology of Regret

Breastfeeding Trauma and the Psychology of Awkwardness

Post-pandemic mental health; navigation ability; conversations with strangers

Gardening and mental health

Manifestation; Overconfidence; Radio drama changing attitudes

Treating refugee mental health; Improving personal growth; Dreamachine

Dreams and dreaming; brain scans for personality traits; extrovert listening

How to cope when your child can't

The Anatomy of Kindness

The Anatomy of Kindness

The Anatomy of Kindness

The Anatomy of Kindness Results

Looking inside the minds of our pets - and our relationships with them

Fish Oils for depression, Pain pleasure and a good life, Kindness, Comedy memory

The power of expectation, Buildings and neurodiversity, Music therapy for Parkinson's

Earworms in sleep, body sensations and image, Louis Wain exhibition

Stomach pains and eating disorders and post-Olympic blues.

Depersonalisation disorder; Air pollution and mental health; Counter-messaging

Persecutory delusions, engine idling and taxi driver brains

Does working in the office boost well-being?

The Kindness Test

All in the Mind Awards ceremony from the Wellcome Collection in London

The psychology of courage and bravery

Learning and taking breaks, the awards: Spectrum People, financial strain and pain

Autobiographical memory in lockdown; awards; psychosis and nightmares; Dean Burnett

Connecting older people to cut loneliness. Are moods contagious? Can gratitude change young people's lives? Awards finalist

Entitlement and bad luck; Awards finalist; intermittent fasting and memory

Voices & personality; Awards; canine jealousy; misophonia - noises that cause anger & anxiety, pink drinks make you run faster

Psychology of soap operas like the Archers; Awards Finalist

Pen or keyboard - what's best for notetaking; All in the Mind Awards; USA racist killings and mental health of black Americans

Memory under lockdown; Awards finalist StrongMen; Lockdown resilience

Rapport; Brain health in later life; Changing optimism through lifespan

Racism, awards and hypermobility

Wellcome Trust Mental health initiative; teenage sleep; choices children make

Ambiguous Loss; All in the Mind Awards; Pandemic impact on memory; Corpus Callosum