Magic mushrooms may ease depression by ‘resetting’ the activity of key brain circuits of patients where conventional treatments have failed. That’s the key finding of a study by researchers from Imperial College London who used psilocybin – the psychoactive compound that occurs naturally in magic mushrooms – to treat a small number of patients with […]
At its worst, depression can be a frightening, debilitating condition. Millions of people around the world live with depression. Many of these individuals and their families are afraid to talk about their struggles, and don’t know where to turn for help. However, depression is largely preventable and treatable. Recognizing depression and seeking help is the […]
Watch a series of videos by the One Young World Ambassadors on the subject of Mental Health. The Health Plenary Session at the 2016 One Young World Summit in Ottawa focused on Mental Health. Poor mental health is one of the greatest contributors to disease worldwide. A WHO study of 90 countries identified suicide as […]
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The population of people who are living with HIV and AIDS is ageing fast. This reflects the ‘good news’ story of the effectiveness of anti-retroviral drugs that have meant that many people with HIV now have a near-normal life expectancy. However, part of this growth is also new infections in the older age group, accounting […]
To mark the WHO’s World Health Day 2017 which, this year, focuses on depression, we talk to Robin Hewings, head of policy for the charity Diabetes UK. People with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from depression th the average adult living in the UK and may also have depressive periods for longer than those without […]
This short video, focusing on depression among adolescents and young adults, highlights some of the symptoms of depression and the importance of talking as the first step towards getting help. It has been produced as part of the World Health Organization’s “Depression: let’s talk” campaign. […]
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Studies show that around 79% of autistic people have mental health issues and rate their anxiety as the number one problem in their lives. 63% meet the criteria for an anxiety disorder. Indeed, the key patient group for child and adolescent psychiatrists is autism. How can people with a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder like autism, affecting […]
Antidepressant prescribing rates have increased year on year over the past 25 years with now more than 60 million prescriptions for the medication being issued in England per year. Patients are being kept on these medications for longer, on average around two years, but around a third to a half of patients have no evidence-based […]
Sometimes very distressed doctors in the NHS do make the news – as with Daksha Emerson, a young psychiatrist who killed herself and her baby whilst suffering from post natal psychosis, and also more recently, junior doctor Rose Polge, whose body was found in the sea off Devon in April. In my experience, the vast […]
Behind the Smile is a solo exhibition focusing on mental ill health and the result of artist Toby Brown’s own experience of clinical depression. Two years in the making, the show features portraits of the artist’s family and friends as well as several high-profile sufferers of depression, including Tony Blair’s former director of communications, Alistair […]