All in the Mind 402x4r

Do you feel like you’re flourishing? If you’ve not heard that term before, it’s not just about wellbeing, it’s about your whole life being good. Guest psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga s Claudia in the studio to discuss the results of the Global Flourishing Study, a huge new study of more than 200,000 people in 22 countries. What are the key takeaways on how we might help ourselves to flourish? Pete also brings the science on a new psychological term – ‘lemonading’. It’s all about bringing a playful approach to life to help us cope in difficult times. And we reveal more of our All in the Mind Awards finalists ahead of this month’s ceremony, including the story of a lifesaving breastfeeding group, and a nurse who was a rock for someone going through difficult psychiatric treatment. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Gerry Holt & Hannah Fisher Studio Manager: Phil Lander Editor: Glyn Tansley

What's going on in your brain when you experience an 'aha!' moment? Imagine you've been stuck on a problem for ages, but then the answer suddenly comes to you out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning. Claudia Hammond is ed in the studio by professor of cognitive neuroscience Sophie Scott to understand how these 'aha' moments happen. Sophie also brings us her own research into contagious laughter and why some types of laughter are more likely to give us the giggles than others. And Claudia meets another All in the Mind Awards finalist. This time it's Flynn Mellor, nominated by his mum Janine for his unwavering care whilst she was unwell. Claudia visits the pair at home and hears from Janine how Flynn's saved her life. The All in the Mind Awards ceremony takes place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June, and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows. If you are suffering distress or despair and need , including urgent , a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Hannah Fisher and Gerry Holt Studio Manager: Emma Harth Editor: Glyn Tansley

This week, we're taking a look at the state of mental health services in the UK. Claudia Hammond is ed in the studio by the BBC's social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan to dissect how long people are having to wait for care and what is being done to tackle the issues. We also hear from two more finalists in the All in the Mind Awards. First up is Duncan who nominated psychiatrist Dr Ilenia Pampaloni, who in 2023 treated him on the UK's only inpatient OCD ward. Claudia hears how Dr Pampaloni's treatment has helped Duncan have his first year of stability in 20 years. And Claudia visits the group KidsTime Haringey, nominated by Chuks. KidsTime works with families where the parents have mental health disorders, and we hear how the group has helped Chuks rebuild his relationship with his children through specialised workshops and sessions. The All in the Mind Awards ceremony takes place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June, and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows. If you are suffering distress or despair and need , including urgent , a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Hannah Fisher, Gerry Holt Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Editor: Glyn Tansley

This week we’re talking about interoception. That's the way the brain interprets the many signals that come from the body. How useful is this skill, can you perfect it – and when might it have a more negative effect? In the studio with Claudia is health psychologist Professor Kavita Vedhara who explains why watching 15 minutes of the Two Ronnies, some Fawlty Towers and a bit of Elvis Presley, could boost how well your vaccine works. And Claudia meets a group from Essex who are finalists in this year’s All in the Mind awards. The group teaches women who are experiencing anxiety, depression or abusive relationships how to ride a bike. We’ll hear how this simple community initiative is connecting people and even transforming lives, and why they just can’t stop smiling. The awards take place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt, Hannah Fisher and Helena Selby Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum Production Coordintator: Siobhan Maguire Content Editor: Glyn Tansley

Are you ok? It’s a question that might be at the front of your mind during a traumatic event. But how helpful is it and can it even make matters worse? We answer a very intriguing listener question. And in the studio with Claudia is Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, who’s excited about a study that has uncovered a fascinating way of measuring just how precise our memory is. Clue: It’s all about the eyes. We also reveal the latest finalist in the All in the Mind awards. This week it's Dr Rajeev Kumar who was nominated by Holly Batyka-Berry for his through Holly's experiences of severe postnatal depression. The awards take place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt and Hannah Fisher Studio Manager: Bob Nettles Production Coordintator: Siobhan Maguire Content Editor: Glyn Tansley

You’ve probably heard the term ADHD – or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – more and more in recent years. Almost 200,000 of you are waiting for a diagnosis and services are struggling to keep up with the demand. Last year twenty four different services told BBC that it would take them eight years to get to everyone on their waiting lists. Now the NHS in England is setting up a taskforce to look at ADHD diagnoses. In this special programme on Adult ADHD, Claudia Hammond and guests ask how did we get to this point, and what can be done to shorten the waiting lists and to make sure people get a timely diagnosis if they need one? Claudia's guests are: Robin Ince - stand-up comedian and science presenter who recently received his own diagnosis of ADHD as an adult; Dr Jessica Eccles - a psychiatrist who does assessments for ADHD and has ADHD herself; and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan - a neurologist who says we should be more careful about who receives a diagnosis. Producer: Lorna Stewart

A new series of All in the Mind kicks off with the first of the finalists in the All in the Mind Awards. Seven hundred of you entered the awards and our judging had the tricky task of choosing just nine finalists. The first of those is Rachel who was nominated by her husband Sam for all the she offered him through his depression and psychosis. They tell Claudia Hammond their story. And in the studio with Claudia is Daryl O'Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds. He's got research about a new approach to persuading people with psychosis to look for and accept psychological . And Claudia speaks to psychotherapist Sophie Scott about how to persuade a loved one to get professional help when they don't want to. And finally, new research showing that the psychological benefits of a holiday last longer than you think - but only if you really do switch off from work. And you can make them last even longer by being active on holiday rather than flopping by the pool every day. Daryl and Claudia discuss. Presenter: Claudia Hammond, Producer: Lorna Stewart Studio Manager: Sue Maillot Programme Coordintator: Siobhan Maguire Content Editor: Holly Squire

In the second of two special holiday episodes Claudia Hammond and an expert of psychologists look to the future. A new year is upon us, a time when we often find ourselves reflecting on the year gone by and thinking about what comes next. Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we don't realise what a complicated - and essential - skill it is. Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity. Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present. And Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success - and what the rest of us can learn from that. Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our favourite future planning at this time of year - new year's resolutions. If you are suffering distress or despair and need , including urgent , a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinators:  Siobhan Maguire and Andrew Rhys Lewis

In the first of two special holiday episodes, Claudia Hammond and an expert of psychologists look back, nostalgically. At this festive time of year, you might be thinking wistfully about Christmas past – perhaps you’ll be rewatching old films, arguing over a game of Monopoly, or listening to Christmas music that drives you mad. Maybe you are looking back with rose-tinted spectacles on the Christmases gone by that seem somehow more magical than they are now. Or perhaps it’s hard to look back without feeling a tinge of sadness. Whether you fall on the more bitter or more sweet side of bittersweet, this is the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. And it is particularly rife at this time of year. But nostalgia wasn't always just a feeling. Historian Agnes Arnold Forster tells Claudia and the that once it was viewed as a disease so deadly that it appeared on thousands of death certificates. And now this poignant emotion stirs political action, bonds us to others, and guides our very understanding of ourselves. Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, and Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, Claudia in the studio to discuss how leaning into nostalgia can help us feel better, reduce pain and even inject a bit of romance into life. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth

Could we be misunderstanding eating disorders for some patients? Research suggests that more than 30 percent of inpatients being treated for an eating disorder also have autism. Claudia Hamond talks to Professor Kate Tchanturia from Kings College London, and Fiona Hollings, expert by experience, who helped develop a new approach to treating eating disorders in people with autism. What are your strongest memories from your teenage years? For good and bad Dr Lucy Foulkes, from Oxford University, argues that our adolescence shapes us. She talks to Claudia about taking teenage love more seriously, having empathy for risk-taking teens, and how to look back on your adolescence more fondly. And Professor Daryl O’Connor, from the University of Leeds, discusses new research which shows that focussing on positive memories can help people who have previously been depressed feel happier. He and Claudia discuss how this might be useful if you feel your mood start to drop. Producer: Lorna Stewart Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

of the UK military piloting unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, operate from Lincolnshire - a long way from frontline battlefields in the Middle East. Via their drones' cameras, they can watch their enemy targets for days or even weeks at a time. But while they might be physically safe, their close-up views of traumatic events can cause mental harm. In this episode, Claudia Hammond speaks to a former pilot of military drones. They are ed by Professor Dominic Murphy, who is head of research at the Combat Stress Centre for Applied Military Health Research, and Professor Peter Lee, an ethicist from the University of Portsmouth. Together, they discuss the issues faced by military drone pilots. In the studio, Claudia is accompanied by Professor Catherine Loveday, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Westminster. They discuss the news that a new type of drug for schizophrenia has been approved by the Food and Drug istration in the USA, and what this could mean for those with the condition. They also pore over a recent piece of research that revealed AI chatbots might be able to pull people out of the rabbithole of conspiracy theories. And the All in the Mind Awards 2025 are open for nominations! You can nominate the individual, group or professional who really helped with your mental health. In this episode, we hear from Josephine Barclay, who won the individual category in 2023, along with her daughter Maudie, who nominated her. If you'd like to nominate someone, you’ll find everything you need to know by going online to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind. Full and conditions are available there too. You have until 1pm on Wednesday the 8th of January 2025 to get your nominations in. If you are affected by anything in this programme, details of organisations offering with mental health and self-harm, or feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire

Functional Neurological Disorder, or FND, is the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of. Some say it might be as common as MS or Parkinson’s and yet it’s not well known even by many medical professionals. It can cause seizures, paralysis, convulsions and changes in sensation, as well as pain, fatigue and memory difficulties. It’s caused by a problem with the system in the brain that connects us consciously into our bodies, leaving sufferers unable to access their bodies properly. Because it doesn’t show up on scans and tests it is often not diagnosed effectively, and patients can face difficulties accessing the help they need or even being believed that their symptoms are real. Claudia Hammond sits in on a consultation at the Maudsley Hospital between Emma, a new patient who is having exactly those problems, and Mark Edwards, Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at King’s College London. She also meets Callum Alexander, a recovered patient who now volunteers for the charity FND Hope. He was referred by Mark for specialist neurophysiotherapy with Glenn Nielsen at St George’s University Hospital, which had immediate results. Glenn tells us that FND can cause the brain to become excessively focused on actions are normally automatic, such as walking, and that redirecting the brain’s attention can be one way of alleviating it. Meanwhile, Emma is relieved she finally has a name to put to her condition and Mark is pushing for more positive diagnoses of FND. Back in the studio, Claudia is ed by Kavita Vedhara, Professor of Health Psychology at Cardiff University. With increasing polarisation in the US in the run up to the forthcoming presidential election, she presents a study that sheds light on how we might view people who are more nuanced in their approach to controversial topics. You might expect people who are able to express both sides of an argument to thrive in social situations. However, this new research suggests that people with nuanced views are seen as less likeable than those with polarised views, even by those who agree with that person’s ultimate position. How does that impact our chances of being able to have reasoned political debates? The 2025 All in the Mind Awards are now open for nominations. You can nominate individuals, professionals and groups who have helped you in your hardest times. Claudia catches up with ZeZe Sohawon who nominated her psychiatrist Dr Claire Purcell for an award in 2021. Since then ZeZe has set up a youth autism and mental health charity, Emotion Dysregulation and Autism, helping autistic young people who struggle with their emotions leading to mental health problems. The charity is about to start delivering a peer programme in Birmingham hospitals, and she’s done all of this while studying for a Neuroscience degree. This year she’s a judge for the All in the Mind Awards and tells Claudia why she thinks people should take part. You can find out more about the awards in the programme or by going to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll also find full . Entries close 8th January 2025 at 1pm. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Ben Motley Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire

Claudia Hammond has her surfboard and wetsuit at the ready to investigate whether surfing could improve her mental health. And she speaks to Ariane Gerami from the University of Bristol to find out whether the enthusiam for surfing to help your mental health is running ahead of the evidence. Claudia is ed in the studio by psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga at Sheffield Hallam University. They talk about a study that's found the need for uniqueness has dwindled over the last 20 years. And one of our listeners got in touch to ask why she felt so much grief for someone she had never met, following the death of Michael Mosley . Claudia speaks to sociologist Dr Ruth Penfold-Mounce from the University of York, and psychologist Dr Dara Greenwood from Vassar College in New York, to discuss why we can feel such an intense loss for someone we've never met. And the All in the Mind Awards are open for entries. We hear from Ben May from bereavement charity The New Normal, who won the project category in 2023. Full details about the awards are in the programme, or at bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll find full and conditions too. Entries close at 1pm on 8th January 2025. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Editor: Holly Squire Production coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Photo credit: The Wave

Did someone amazing you through mental health problems and would you like to recognise that ? Claudia Hammond launches the All in the Mind Awards where you can nominate individuals, professionals and groups who have helped you in your hardest times. Full details in the programme or by going to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll also find full . Entries close 8th January 2025 at 1pm. We want to recognise friends, family, colleagues, professionals, groups who have ed those with mental health problems. And to launch the awards Claudia talks to Joe Wicks, one of the judges this year, about how he s his parents with their mental health difficulties, and about his ion for exercise as a route to improving mental health. Claudia is ed by cognitive neuroscientist Catherine Loveday from the University of Westminster. They discuss the role of cortisol in our bodies and how social media trends like #cortisolface are misleading. And Claudia and Catherine are ed in the studio by musician Sean O’Hagan and his neighbour Chris Newman doesn’t understand the joy Sean takes from it. Together they discuss why music makes some of us emotional but leaves others cold. And neuroscientist Catherine attempts to measure Chris’ response to music and discusses musical anhedonia, a condition which affects 5-10% of people including, possibly, Chris. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire

Smartphones are bad for the mental health of children and adolescents. At least, that’s the popular perception that has led to calls for smartphones to be banned for children under a certain age, with numerous media reports drumming home the narrative that smartphones are damaging a generation. But the evidence for a link between smartphones and poor mental health is surprisingly weak, and smartphones also have uses that can be beneficial to children and adults alike. Claudia Hammond talks to Dr Amy Orben, who leads the digital mental health group at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. As well as her own research, she’s reviewed huge numbers of studies on the topic and says that the panic around smartphones mirrors previous panics about other technologies such as the radio. So how do we allow children to become part of the digital world while also keeping them safe? Claudia is ed in the studio by clinical psychologist Linda Blair, who brings along a new research paper on what it means to get a diagnosis for a mild mental health problem. Diagnostic labels can legitimise help-seeking and boost empathy, but they can also encourage the view that mental health problems are persistent and discourage the idea that you can overcome them. Climate anxiety is a fairly new label, and we hear from a group of people in Fife about how climate change is affecting them emotionally. Claudia then speaks to Caroline Hickman, a psychotherapist who works with climate activists and researches the psychological effects of climate change on young people. Human beings have an amazing capacity for resilience, but most of the problems we have faced in history have had a solution. How do we cope with a crisis that does not have a solution and contains multiple uncertainties?

In the last two years, online searches for ‘toxic positivity’ have spiked. In this discussion from the Cheltenham Science Festival, we find out what toxic positivity is, and how it can hurt you and people around you. In front of a live audience, Claudia Hammond is ed by psychologist Dr Linda Blair, GP and educator Dr Anisha Patel, and wellbeing consultant and content creator Benjy Kusi. Linda has been interested in the rise in the use of the term ‘toxic positivity’ and has noticed how it is having an impact on our wellbeing. She reveals why it is important for us not to suppress ‘negative’ feelings and emotions. Anisha was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was 39. She authored the book Everything You Hoped You’d Never Need To Know About Bowel Cancer, where she speaks about her diagnosis and treatment journey. She experienced first-hand the harm that toxic positivity can do. Benjy works with many different companies to help improve their inclusion and wellbeing practices. He is the author of the book Hope This Helps and posts frequent videos about lots of tricky issues on TikTok and Instagram. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Editor: Holly Squire

You probably know the video game Tetris, perhaps you’ve even played it, but have you ever thought about it as therapy? Claudia Hammond talks to Professor Emily Holmes from Uppsala University, about her work using Tetris as a psychological intervention for unwanted memories. During the pandemic many ICU workers found they were experiencing intrusive memories about the traumatic events they had experienced. Prof Holmes and her colleague, consultant clinical psychologist Dr Julie Highfield, ran a trial offering Tetris therapy to ICU workers and showed they could reduce intrusive memories significantly. Next, you may have seen headlines this week suggesting that teenage brains could be worryingly and irrevocably changed by excessive internet use. It is the latest in a recent surge of concern about teenagers' relationship to technology. Claudia and studio guest, Sarah king from Sussex University, dig into the research and discover that the evidence isn’t as worrying as the headlines make it sound. And do you have a secret? Apparently most of us do and we can't resist thinking about them even though that rumination can impact our wellbeing. Claudia discusses the psychology of secrets with Dr Michael Slepian from Columbia University in New York. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Studio Manager: Emma Harth Content Editor: Holly Squire ICU workers testimony clips taken from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000j22z

If you’re feeling demotivated and aimless, but you’re not depressed, you might be languishing. But what exactly is languishing, and what can you do about it? Claudia Hammond talks to the sociologist Dr Corey Keyes, who coined the term. He has some solutions that could help you move from languishing to flourishing, as well as poetic descriptions of how nature inspires his work and hopeful tales about the search for meaning in the modern world. We hope that the many children currently going through exams across the country are flourishing, but exam success is far from the only influence on their futures. A new study shows that children who perceive greater household chaos at the age of 16 are more likely to have poor mental health by the age of 23. The most fascinating aspect of the research is that it involved twins living in the same household, and their perceptions of chaos were often wildly different. So what can parents do improve their children’s perception of chaos? Professor Daryl O’Connor from the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds s Claudia in the studio to look at the evidence. We also have the story of a survivor of child sexual abuse, who fell apart when a weekend away triggered memories of what had happened to him. He went to the police, and eventually his ab was sent to prison. But the process of doing that destroyed his coping mechanism – to lock it away and ignore it. He tells us how the Salford-based charity We Are Survivors helped him put his life back together. He now encourages abuse survivors to seek help. Details of other organisations that can provide are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. And do you have an old friend you’ve lost touch with? Why don’t you get back in touch? New research shows that we’re often reluctant to do so. Claudia and Daryl dig into the detail and wonder whether it could even help us stop languishing. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Ben Motley Content Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire

In this episode, Claudia Hammond goes to the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to garden designer Katherine Holland. She credits gardening with helping to ease her grief following the death of her mother. Her Grief Kind garden features a meeting space with three chairs set around a coffee table, to encourage conversations about grief and will include a rotating display of personal objects symbolising loved ones who have died. Professor Catherine Loveday, a psychologist and neuroscientist from the University of Westminster, s Claudia in the studio to discuss how objects can help us form links in our brains and our loved ones. Many of us breathe a sigh of relief when the weather warms up and the sun pops out, but one listener actually finds their mood worsens during the summer. Catherine and Claudia discuss the little-known condition of summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Finally, we hear from Professor Andrew Steptoe, a psychologist and epidemiologist from University College London. He heads up the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which has been running for 20 years. He has found that older people's anxiety levels have remained high following the pandemic. Claudia and Catherine unpick a few of the issues and stereotypes that some people may face. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Studio Manager: Neva Missirian Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire Editor: Holly Squire

As part of the BBC’s mental well-being season, All in the Mind takes a deep dive into the evidence on the relationship between exercise and mental health. Not just whether getting moving can make a difference, but why. Claudia Hammond laces up her running shoes and goes for a jog on the seafront in Eastbourne with a group of people who are running for their mental health. Claudia meets the founder of 'Run Talk Run', Jess Robson, and talks to other of the group about why they find exercise to be helpful. Back in the studio, Claudia speaks to Jonathan Roiser, Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health at University College London. He’s about to embark on a major piece of research that should help us understand a lot more about what exercise does for people with depression. As well as explaining what they’re hoping to discover, he tells her about the latest research into exercise and mental health. Why does it work for some people and not others, and what’s the best exercise for your brain? Then there’s the commonly held belief that exercise is good for your mood because it ‘gets the endorphins going’, but we know that endorphins are not able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Claudia talks to Dr Hilary Marusak from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit about one of the possible alternatives – the endocannabinoid system. Throughout the programme Claudia is ed by Dr Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. Together they discuss the many barriers people face to improving their physical activity, including the fact that poor mental health itself can stop you wanting to exercise in the first place. And if getting more exercise really does sound like the worst idea you can think of, it turns out that watching sport on TV might also be good for you. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Ben Motley Content Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire