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Mental health

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LatestPopular
A double exposure image of a person using a smartphone overlaid with a bustling city street scene with cars and tall buildings.

Technology and media

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What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal

‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too

by Angela Chen

a frightened child whose face is partially obscured peers down from by a play area structure

Trauma and PTSD

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The shadows cast by childhood abuse and neglect are not the same

Unravelling the pathways from different forms of childhood maltreatment to mental illness could lead to better treatments

by Anne Alkema & Marco Boks

A man wearing a hat and a suit, holding a microphone on stage, with dramatic lighting in the background.

Laughter and comedy

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Absurdist comedy is uniquely brilliant at conveying human pain

On stage as Mr Fruit Salad, I’ve seen how the bizarre and ridiculous can convey deep meaning in a way that resonates

by Joz Norris

A man is silhouetted presenting to a video camera and lit by a ring light

Mental health

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Why we’re hopeful about mental health videos on TikTok

People are broadcasting their psychological self-diagnoses on TikTok. Some experts are worried, but we see an opportunity

by Elliot Jurist & Julia Jurist

Two individuals are shown sitting closely, one appearing to comfort the other by holding their hand. The setting seems intimate and supportive.

Attachment and parenting

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Six steps to self-compassion when your parent has mental illness

Growing up with a parent with mental illness can be very tough. Learning to exercise self-compassion can truly help

by Addy Dunkley-Smith

A painting of a woman floating on her back in a stream, surrounded by flowers and greenery, wearing a dress.

Memoir

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If madness is like drowning, then writing is my raft ashore

I imagine madness as a kind of watery death, like Ophelia’s. The only way I can get to safety is by writing myself ashore

by Azania Imtiaz Khatri-Patel

Silhouette of a person using a phone, leaning on a railing under trees with a building in the background.

Mental health

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How a feeling that you belong could protect your mental health

Research on young adults at a time of social transition highlights the significance of feeling that you belong to a group

by Janine M Dutcher & Amber Quinn

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

A person leans out of an open window on the second floor of an old brick building with ornate trim, near a fire escape and traffic light.

History and philosophy of mental health

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Can we diagnose suffering without knowing a person’s history?

Human bodies and mental states are always transforming. How can the DSM portray the full range of human suffering?

by Christos Tombras

A girl swinging with a cityscape in the background, under a cloudy sky. The Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House are visible.

Mental health

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Why does early puberty pose a risk to girls’ mental health?

Girls who start puberty earlier are at greater risk of depression and anxiety. To know why, we must look beyond biology

by Marjolein E A Barendse & Michelle L Byrne

Blurred close-up of a woman’s face with an out-of-focus reflection of a shop window displaying signage in the background.

Mental health

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Mental disorders aren’t diseases, they’re networks of symptoms

Mental disorders are usually seen as the causes of symptoms. In the network perspective, symptoms are causes themselves

by Richard J McNally

Several men sit in a waiting area, one of them holding a cup and looking pensive, while another reads a book.

Mental health

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Bias in mental health diagnosis gets in the way of treatment

Some groups are at risk of receiving less accurate mental health diagnoses. The expanded use of diagnostic aids could help

by Howard N Garb