Psychology news

Can psychological treatments be harmful?

03-04-2016 19:00

The mind is a delicate thing, so can therapies actually have a negative effect? The evidence points to some cause for concernThe side effects of antidepressants are well known – nausea, dry mouth, constipation and loss of interest in sex. But what if your depression is being treated by a psychological therapy? Are there any risks in that? Research in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests there might be – out of 14,587 people who responded to a survey asking about a range of psyc

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Sleep, science and how to beat social jetlag

03-04-2016 10:44

A good night’s sleep is a serious matter, says Robert Colville. Not just your mood but your health is at stakeSleep is surprisingly little understood. Scientists still haven’t agreed on how it evolved, or what its purpose is. What we do know, however, is that it is vital – and that many of us aren’t getting enough.This is partly a symptom of what I call “the great acceleration” – the speeding up of everyday life, driven largely by technology. As we work

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Treating depression may reduce heart disease risk

03-04-2016 09:00

The links between cardiovascular health and depression are only slowly being uncovered. A new study finds that treating depression effectively might reduce future cardiac risk.

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The Bristol Festival of Ideas 2016 preview: from Yanis Varoufakis to Frankenstein

03-04-2016 08:00

Bristol’s latest festival of ideas, in association with the Observer, offers an inspirational programme of debate, theatre and reasonAn ideas festival should be about debating ideas and promoting change. For the past 12 years Bristol has celebrated ideas in the arts and sciences. Our work has always taken place in the city, but has never been parochial: we seek the best ideas worldwide for debate. Continue reading...

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How happy are you?

03-04-2016 07:00

Life-changing events can affect your score in a way that might surprise you…How happy are you? And to what extent would this be affected if you suffered a serious injury or won a million pounds on the lottery? On a scale of 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much) how happy do you feel…a) generally at this stage of your life?
b) when chatting with a friend?
c) when watching TV?
d) when laughing at a joke? Continue reading...

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