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Double exposure photo of a person silhouetted against the sea with clouds overlapping their figure.

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

Photo of a city street with a man in a hat in the foreground and another man walking among cars in the background.

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

Painting of three women, one holding a hat, standing on a bridge with a blurred landscape in the background.

Emotions

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For young people, emotions are highly contagious social viruses

Like viruses, our internal mental states are socially transmissible, and it’s easier to catch happiness than depression

by Jack Andrews

A person and two children stand on shore promenade, surrounded by seagulls, with a large water fountain and cityscape in the background.

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

Photo of a person with a megaphone raising a fist below a building with green shutters and a red banner.

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 smiling family hold hands and play on a sunny beach with their retriever dog

Happiness

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As a psychiatrist, I’ve seen how chasing happiness leads to misery

My clinical work has shown me that happiness is a ghost that’s not worth pursuing – there are far wiser goals in life

by Rafa Euba

Photo of a person in a yellow jacket and turquoise hat running through a blurred forest path, conveying motion.

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

A close-up of wilted orange flowers with drooping stems in a black vase against a blurred brown background.

Depression

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What’s going on in depression to make negative beliefs so sticky?

Understanding why negative views persist in the face of contradictory evidence could help inform depression treatment

by Tobias Kube

Photo of a person with a headset holding a device, looking at a cookbook on a sofa with magazines and a remote nearby.

Emerging therapies

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A personalised alternative to antidepressants is on the way

A form of personalised, at-home, brain-based treatment for depression is getting close – but is psychiatry ready for it?

by Paul Fitzgerald

The African American singer and pianist Nina Simone is pictured alone, singing against a spotlight that resembles a moon in the darkness. She has her eyes closed.

Emerging therapies

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Could that tingle down the spine be a way to rediscover joy?

In new research, scientists have looked into the potential benefits of giving people with depression the aesthetic chills

by Shayla Love

Photo of a person lying on a bed with a small dog on their chest. A sunset picture is mounted on the wall behind them.

Psychiatric medication

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The media bias against antidepressants is harming patients

Antidepressants work and they can complement psychotherapy, yet the media coverage of the drugs is overwhelmingly negative

by Anushka Pathak & Lizzie Lim

Photo of a person on a bench overlooking a snowy town, fjord and mountains at sunset.

Thinking and intelligence

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What happens to our cognition in the darkest depths of winter?

Contrary to popular beliefs about winter sluggishness and depression, human cognition is not affected by the seasons

by Tim Brennen