The idea that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain is more than half a century old. The reality is more complex.
- Professor of Psychiatry, Monash University
A stark difference emerges at puberty: one in three women develop migraines, compared to one in 15 men.
Treatment should focus on the underlying causes of borderline personality disorder – trauma – rather stigmatise the person.
How do you know if what you are experiencing is standard premenstrual syndrome – PMS – or something more severe?
The most popular supplements for hot flushes are phytoestrogens (or plant estrogens). This trend has been partly driven by companies that promote them as a safer alternative to hormone therapy.
Admissions, a varied collection by writers with lived experience of mental illness, is confronting, challenging, often surprising – and open to interpretation.
The hormones in the pill can cause or exacerbate depression, and the type you use is an important factor.
After two years of pandemic life, New Year’s resolutions may come with a new intensity.
The pandemic has exposed some truths about human psychology and behaviour.
Women have reported increased drinking at higher levels than men during the coronavirus pandemic. This is likely because their mental health is suffering.
The mental health impact from the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be significant. But putting a figure on the projected increase in suicides may not be accurate – and is unlikely to be helpful.
Nous avons demandé à cinq experts si notre état mental peut influer sur notre rétablissement en cas de maladie. Cinq sur cinq ont dit oui, mais…
Puberty can make us behave differently.
We asked five experts if your mental state can affect how well you recover from illness and disease. Five out of five said yes.
People with borderline personality disorder are often treated as if they have a personality flaw, rather than mental health issues stemming from trauma. It’s time we changed its name.
Studies show oestrogen protects against depression and psychotic symptoms. So falls in the hormone, as happens before menstruation, can lead to depressive and other symptoms of mental illness.
Cliched comments like “it wasn’t meant to be” or “don’t worry, you’ll get pregnant” are hurtful and dismissive. Instead, acknowledge their loss, listen and let them grieve.
We usually focus on the physical health effects of the pill, yet the most common reason women stop or change the pill is mental health side effects.
Gender is important in defining susceptibility and exposure to a number of mental health risks. Gender can also explain differences in mental health outcomes.
In recent times, we have learnt more about the connections between the “reproductive” or gonadal hormones and the brain, and how they affect not only women but men as well.
Diagnostic labels usually describe symptoms, attempt to answer the question of what is wrong, and lead to a treatment plan. But “borderline personality disorder” fails on all three counts.
“I will definitely give up smoking – that’s my New Year’s resolution,” she stated emphatically as she thumped her fist on the table to underline her determination. “All very well”, I thought, as I sat…
She showed me the cigarette burns on her arms. Her eyes seemed empty as she slumped in the chair, answering questions with defeated shrugs. Finally she explained that her stepfather had held her down and…
Political controversies often use the suffix “gate” to embellish their significance. In pop psychology, the equivalent is the made-up “syndrome”, which involves a combination of symptoms and circumstances…
Quitting smoking is associated with reduced depression and anxiety, and has a similar effect to antidepressant drugs for mood disorders, British researchers have found. Published today in the journal BMJ…
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