A new era is about to dawn in Japan. Suffering from ill health, the elderly Emperor Akihito will abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne in favour of his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, on the thirtieth of April this year. His reign, alongside Crown Princess Masako, will mark the beginning of the ‘Reiwa’ era, as announced on the […]
Depression
New target for depression treatment
As the second leading cause of disability worldwide, major depressive disorder has a profound effect on individuals and society. Treating this debilitating disorder is vital yet current treatments have severe side effects and inconsistent results. A recent study conducted in California explored the influence of brain stimulation on mood in epilepsy patients. Epilepsy is often […]
The Glorification of XXXTentacion
I know you’re somewhere, somewhere/I’ve been trapped in my mind, girl, just holdin’ on”. When I first came across Jocelyn Flores I was on a road trip across California, eating Popeye’s and staring at the endless expanse of desert that stretched out until forever. His calming voice was reassuring and, immediately I felt the pain […]
Our Smartphone Addiction
Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, for better or for worse. We are connected to friends and family around the world at the tap of a screen and have the entire world wide web at our fingertips. Whilst these technological advancements have made our day-to-day lives easier in many respects, there is […]
Do You Believe in Magic (Mushrooms)?
ALDOUS Huxley famously wrote “take a holiday from reality whenever you like, and come back without so much as a headache or a mythology.” Sounds like a dream come true? In Huxley’s classic Brave New World it’s possible. In fact, he wrote a lot about psychedelics and his experiences with them, and before he died, […]
Mental Health and Social Media: do we spend too much time staring at screens?
The panic around social media use today is like the panic around Grand Theft Auto in the noughties, video-nasties in the eighties and the development of the printing press back before people knew what penicillin was. Stupid and petty, silly and unfounded, peddled by the kind of people who can’t handle change. It would all […]
Google’s PHQ-9 Tests – combating increasing rates of mental health problems
As part of an initiative which sees the tech giant partnered with the USA’s National Alliance on Mental Illness, Google mobile searches for the terms “depression” and “clinical depression” will now present US users with the option to take a short, self-administered depression test. According to the Alliance, whilst one in five Americans are likely […]
The Pill: Sexual Liberator or Limitator?
When the birth control pill was introduced in the 1960s, it sparked a revolution: women could take charge of their own sexual freedom. Now, women around the world are finding alternatives to the Pill after recognition of its effects on psychological health. Despite the six decades that pill has been omnipresent, 99% effective and not […]
Disorientation, depression and danger: retirement in sport
“I’m 35 and I still don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I am as a person.” Such candid remarks are likely to painfully resonate with many. The name Jason Brown is rarely recognised, but he enjoyed a relatively successful goalkeeping career, representing Wales and a string of football league clubs. A traditional […]
Words Matter: Talking about mental health
“W ith the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the forefront of the Heads Together campaign and the recent popularity of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, dialogues surrounding mental health have been on the incline. The topic is on our minds, yet there remains a legion of misconceptions surrounding mental health, adding to the […]