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Depression

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The body and physical health

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Even a single exercise session can help shift depression

The long-term benefits of regular exercise for mood are well-known. What’s surprising is that just one session can help

by Matthew Bourke & Rhiannon Patten

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Mental health

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Many people not only survive mental illness – they thrive

For people with depression, anxiety and other conditions, reaching high wellbeing – not just recovery – is a real possibility

by Jonathan Rottenberg & Andrew Devendorf

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Depression

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Why the ketamine revolution is stalling – and how to save it

Used with psychotherapy, ketamine can provide safe and effective treatment for depression when other treatments have failed

by Bita Moghaddam

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Depression

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Why life is faster but depression is lower in bigger cities

Large cities might seem detrimental to mental health but a comparison of depression rates suggests bigger is better

by Andrew Stier

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Depression

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Depression is more than low mood – it’s a change of consciousness

Understanding depression as an altered state of consciousness, like a dream or drug trip, could help people awaken from it

by Cecily Whiteley & Jonathan Birch

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Emotion regulation

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Hope is the antidote to helplessness. Here’s how to cultivate it

If hopelessness is learned, then it can be unlearned: how groundbreaking studies paved the way to help cultivate hope

by Emily Esfahani Smith

A photo of a woman puckering her lips in a pub setting with drinks on the table and a hand holding a smartphone.

Memory and nostalgia

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It’s possible to help more positive images pop into your mind

Images that pop into our minds spontaneously are like a background track – and we can make it more positive and uplifting

by Simon Blackwell

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Brain interventions

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In the deepest despair, electroconvulsive therapy offers hope

In the past, ECT could be violent and brutal. But today, it’s one of the best treatments for severe depression that we have

by Wendy Burn