A boy diagnosed with cancer at seven years old is not thinking about fatherhood. His parents are not thinking about it either, not really, not while they are absorbing a diagnosis and bracing for treatment. And yet, tucked into that first wave of decisions, is one about a future so distant it barely feels real: whether to try to preserve his fertility before treatment takes it away. I recently completed a DPhil in reproductive science, alongside a master's in clinical embryology, focused on developing laboratory techniques to help preserve and restore fertility in prepubertal boys undergoing cancer treatment. Much of that work was spent in a lab, not with patients directly, but the more time I spent on the underlying science, the more I found myself thinking about the boys and their families behind it, and what they must be going through. That is what led me to write this piece. The clinical process for preserving a child's fertility is careful and well established, but what happens emotionally, for the child, and later the adult he becomes, is rarely part of the conversation. I want to bring that gap into view and make the case that the mental impact of this experience deserves as much attention as the science trying to solve it. Image Source: Derek Finch on Unsplash The Clinical Picture When a child is diagnosed with cancer, saving their life is the priority, but for many, the treatment that saves them can also take something else, their fertility. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy work by targeting cells that divide quickly, which is exactly what makes them effective against cancer. Unfortunately, the cells responsible for producing sperm later in life, called spermatogonial stem cells, also divide rapidly, and are often destroyed or damaged as collateral in the process. Depending on the drugs and doses used, this can leave a child with reduced fertility, or none at all. Advances in cancer research mean childhood cancer survival rates have climbed dramatically in recent decades. In high-income countries, around 80% of children diagnosed with cancer are now cured. That is, rightly, one of medicine's great success stories. But it also means that a growing number of people are living long lives after treatment and having to reckon with what that treatment left behind, including their fertility. For teenage boys and adult men, there's a straightforward answer: freeze sperm before treatment starts, the same way it's done for many adult cancer patients. But for a boy who hasn't yet gone through puberty, that option doesn't exist. The body hasn't started making sperm yet, so there's nothing to freeze. Currently, the only options for these patients are still under experimental development: a small biopsy (a medical procedure that removes a small sample of tissue, cells, or fluid from the body) of testicular tissue is removed under anaesthesia and frozen, in the hope that by the time the child grows up, medical science will have found a way to use it to restore fertility. These options include generating patient-derived sperm within a lab or transplanting the biopsies back into the patient once they reach adulthood. The UK's first programme for freezing tissue biopsies began in 2002, and it now happens at a handful of specialist centres, working with a team of paediatric oncologists, reproductive specialists, psychologists, and genetic counsellors all involved in the decision. Families are told clearly: this is experimental. There is no guarantee it will work. It's a biopsy taken on hope, stored for a future that hasn't arrived yet but is on the horizon. This is the gap my own research sits in, trying to build the lab techniques that could one day turn that frozen tissue into something usable. Image Source: maulana ahmad on Unsplash The Psychological Gap What strikes me most, working in this field, isn't the biology. It's the timeline. A five-year-old having testicular tissue frozen has no concept of fertility, parenthood, or what any of this means. The decision is, thus, made entirely by parents and clinicians, guided by careful, compassionate counselling, but the child himself isn't in the room in any meaningful sense. He often can't consent (it is his parents who provide consent) to what's happening to his body, and he won't understand the weight of it for years, sometimes decades. That creates a very particular kind of delayed grief, one of the many late effects of cancer that surface long after the treatment has ended. Unlike an adult diagnosed with cancer, who processes the loss of fertility alongside the diagnosis itself, a boy who has this procedure as a child often doesn't confront what it means until adolescence, or later, when a friend becomes a parent, when a relationship gets serious, when the question "do you want kids one day?" stops being hypothetical. Research on childhood cancer survivors backs this up: many say they want biological children later in life, and infertility has been linked to lower self-esteem, and strain in relationships as adults, not necessarily because of the medical facts, but because of what those facts mean for identity, masculinity, and the future they'd pictured for themselves. The distress associated with infertility is not minor. Studies have linked infertility-related stress to depression and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts, and this burden on men specifically has historically received far less research attention than it deserves. And there's very little structured support for that moment. The clinical process, the biopsy, the counselling, the freezing, is well established. What happens fifteen years later, when a young man learns what was done for him as a child and has to make sense of it, is a conversation the healthcare system isn't always equipped to have. That's the part of this story that doesn't often get told alongside the science. Image Source: Ba11estas Photography on Pexels Closing the Gap The pace of progress in reproductive science gives real reason for hope. Techniques like the ones I work on are edging closer to turning tissue that has sat frozen for years into a genuine path to fertility, and that horizon is closer than it was even five years ago. But the science alone is not enough. Behind every frozen biopsy is a child who did not necessarily choose this, and later, a young man carrying the emotional weight of a decision made before he could understand it. As the medicine improves, we need to improve alongside it, building the emotional support these patients need, and making space for voices that are rarely asked to speak.

Image Source: Taufik Ramadhan on Unsplash+ I have read countless articles on the gut-brain relationship, but very few go into depth about one particular concept. As a Nutrition & Lifestyle Practitioner completing an MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of the Mind-Body Interface, a few classmates asked me to share my knowledge in this area, so I decided to write about the most important thing I’ve learned in the past several years on the gut-brain axis. Now, for those of you who don't know much about the gut-brain connection, the best way to understand this beautiful mechanism is to see it as a two-way communication network connecting the mind and various organs, including the digestive system. One of the main nerves connecting the two areas is called the vagus nerve, which contains around 100,000 neurons. Because of this connectivity, I often describe the mind and digestive system as one system. Now, here is what I've noticed. Many gut-brain articles discuss a bottom-up approach: how your gut can influence the brain and mind. How eating well can improve gut microbiome diversity, influence mood, and optimise cognitive processes, and how certain species of gut bacteria are protective against cognitive decline. Don't get me wrong, these are great and important findings; but here is what very few authors discuss. The Importance of Top-down Findings of the Gut-brain Connection My own personal health journey taught me just how strong this direction can be. So, allow me to discuss how positive life experiences, emotions, and mindsets can support the gut and the rest of the body. I’d also like to discuss how negative experiences, emotions, and mindsets can disrupt digestion and one’s health. Healthy Function of the Brain & Vagus Nerve We all love serotonin and dopamine, right? After all, healthy levels of serotonin and dopamine are often associated with good mood states, whereas altered levels of these neurotransmitters have been linked with IBS, depression, and PTSD. Relaxing the mind and body can support parasympathetic activity (the ‘rest and digest’ state), promoting healthy function of the body, including the gut. Additionally, relaxed, healthy states of the mind can support activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that helps us make decisions, manage emotions and control impulses, often making healthier lifestyle choices easier. A Healthy Microbiome The microbiome is a beautiful ecosystem that, much like our own jungles and forests on this earth, has a variety of species living in various places on our body. The gut microbiome is particularly interesting and has been the most researched. A healthy gut microbiome is often diverse, beaming with all sorts of life. Each species contributes to the growth and maintenance of its environment, i.e. you as the host. Certain bacteria have been shown not only to synthesise serotonin, but also to consume and metabolise the molecule, encouraging serotonin-consuming species to grow. Other neurotransmitters have similar effects. Oxytocin, released when connecting with others, can also alter and improve the overall composition of your gut microbiome, supporting a healthy and diverse ecosystem. Healthy Gut Function Both serotonin and dopamine are important neurotransmitters that regulate gut motility, ensuring the food moves through the digestive tract at a healthy pace so that waste products can be excreted regularly. A more relaxed nervous system helps with the secretion of stomach acid, digestive juices, and enzymes to break down your favourite foods. Serotonin and dopamine allow for that smooth muscle contraction in the gut, known as the migrating motor complex, which moves digested food along the tract so that waste products can leave the body regularly. Additionally, serotonin can help balance the sensitivity of digestive organs and support gut cells to heal and create more gut cells in injured areas. Both serotonin and oxytocin play a vital role in the maintenance of tight cell junctions in the gut wall, helping ensure nutrients enter the bloodstream and unwanted substances stay out. Image Source: muhammad noor ridho on Unsplash Impact of Stress on the Brain Here is where things can go downhill. Although stress can vary from individual to individual, and small amounts are considered beneficial, large amounts of stress can leave us feeling unable to cope with long-term challenges, potentially threatening our wellbeing or survival. This feeling is not always easily identifiable, especially if we were raised in stressful environments, where high levels of stress become the new normal. However, when the stress response is activated, we have less activity in the pre-frontal cortex, which is why willpower and self-control can feel much harder to access. It's much more difficult to make healthy lifestyle choices due to this, as the system prioritises dealing with the threat first. These stress hormones often lead to poorer levels of serotonin and dopamine; both vital neurotransmitters needed for maintenance of body health and function. A Stressed Microbiome Dysbiosis is a term used to describe an unfavourable change in the microbiome ecosystem, often characterised by a loss of diversity, loss of beneficial species, and increases in potentially harmful bacteria. Stress can contribute to the onset of dysbiosis, as well as larger gaps between the cells that line the gut wall. When these gaps increase, the gut barrier can become weaker, making it easier for unwanted bacteria or their by-products to pass through. But here are some interesting ways stress can affect the gut microbiome: Adrenaline & Noradrenaline can elevate certain bacterial levels 10, 000-fold which can crowd out good bacteria. Stress hormones can travel to the gut and increase bad bacteria to grow, e.g E.coli In one study, couples in a troubled marriage had more signs of a weakened gut barrier than couples in a more supportive relationship. Stressed Gut Function Even low amounts of long-term stress hormones can reduce the body’s “rest and digest” signals and have digestion as a lower priority for the body when it comes to energy distribution. So that means less stomach acid can be produced, which may contribute to acid reflux, as the stomach needs certain levels of acid for the stomach’s gate to work properly. It also means fewer digestive enzymes can be produced, so the food is not properly broken down and/or absorbed. Additionally, these stress pathways can directly affect how quickly food moves through the gut by slowing down the intestinal tract, contributing to constipation. That said, adrenaline-mediated stress, which can come from events that make you feel anxious, excited, or fearful, often leads to faster movement through the gut and therefore looser stools. So, hopefully now you have a better understanding of why your appetite might change as exams approach, or why you feel that horrible pit in your stomach before a romantic date. Whilst optimising your nutrition is important, just remember: real-life situations can significantly influence your biology, either for better or for worse. Don’t underestimate the power of the placebo effect, or the strength of changing your environment and the people you spend your time with. Supporting your biology also means managing stress in ways that feel realistic: do activities you really enjoy, find support where you can, and make more plans with trusted friends and loved ones. Avoid taking on too many responsibilities at once. These are all crucial to help your body run as optimally as it can. These small changes can all help your body function at its best.

Exploring how the simple, ancient act of singing can help mothers navigate their changing identities, build community, and hear themselves again Before a baby can understand a single word, before they can even clearly focus on a face, they already know one sound better than any other: their mother’s voice, with research suggesting that infants learn to recognise this specific sound even before they are born. The maternal voice has a profound impact on the baby, playing a crucial role in their cognitive and emotional development, fostering secure attachment, and providing a sense of safety and comfort. Image by Israel Torres on Pexels But this beautiful reality raises a vital question: if a mother’s voice is so important for her baby, who is looking after the mother’s voice? I am not referring only to the sound she makes, but to the woman behind it, her identity, well-being, confidence, and sense of self. I am a professional singer, a performer, and a voice educator. I am also a researcher specialising in Singing for Health, and I have spent years observing how people use their voices to express themselves. My work combines artistic practice with scientific research because I believe empirical evidence and lived experience should inform one another. Recently, I led a qualitative research project called Melodies of Motherhood, exploring how singing might support maternal well-being and the mother-infant relationship. Mothers participated in a series of inclusive online group singing workshops. Before the workshops, mothers completed an open-ended questionnaire about their beliefs in their ability to be successful in their role as mothers. After the workshops, I also conducted interviews to understand shifts in mothers' emotional well-being, self-confidence, and perceived connection with their infants. This project and my work in community settings became a lens for exploring broader questions about what it means to find, lose, and reclaim one’s voice during one of life’s most profound transitions. Finding the "Me" in Motherhood Becoming a mother is a life-changing experience, full of joy and love, but also marked by uncertainty and self-doubt. Many mothers feel isolated, face stigma, and lose a sense of control. One mother in my study said that after having a baby: "you can feel like you lose your identity and just become Mum". People ask about the baby, but often forget to ask about the mother. Caring for another being is an enormous responsibility that may reduce a woman's daily routine to feeding, changing, and sleeping, leaving little space for herself. In this challenging period, it is not surprising that mothers’ emotional well-being may be affected. As one mother expressed, "If I am not me, how can I make him him?" Her mental health is absolutely crucial; without it, she cannot pour from an empty cup to nourish another human. So, what do we do? More Than Just a Lullaby To understand how we might better support women during this time, I designed singing workshops specifically tailored for mothers. Throughout history and across cultures, singing has been part of our lives, bringing people together, facilitating communication, and helping relieve stress. Singing has also been suggested to support maternal mental health and wellbeing; in fact, research has shown that group singing can reduce symptoms of postnatal depression. Yet, the aim of Melodies of Motherhood was not to create a clinical intervention, but to offer a safe, inclusive space where mothers could sing together, express themselves, and support one another. We did not utilise traditional nursery rhymes; we sang pop, soul, gospel, and folk songs. One mother mentioned that nursery rhymes can sometimes feel a bit "whiny," and that having the opportunity to sing songs she truly loved added a whole new dimension to her routine. The workshops provided a dedicated space for mothers to focus on breathing, warm up their bodies, and simply enjoy music. Nurturing the Mother’s Voice Nurtures Her Identity One of the most notable outcomes of the project was how singing served as a bridge back to the mothers' own identities. Singing helped these women carve out a space just for themselves. Image by Gustavo Fring on Pexels One mother realised during the project that she missed her music deeply. Before having her baby, music was a huge part of her life, but the silence of early motherhood had taken over. After the workshops, she began putting on her own music in the kitchen while her baby ate, realising she was allowed to have her music too. Another mother spoke of dusting off her ukulele, an instrument that might have sat in a cupboard for another year if she hadn't been motivated to share her love of music with her child. These moments are meaningful. By prioritising their own joy and self-expression, mothers are empowered to take charge of their emotional health. They stop treating singing as a tool to soothe the baby and start using it as a shared activity. Finding Harmony Together Singing also affects the relationship with the baby. The mother-infant bond heavily relies on the mother's emotional availability and confidence in her ability to care for her infant. In fact, if a mother is distressed, she may struggle to recognise and respond to her baby's needs. On the contrary, when a mother is relaxed, the connection improves. Reflecting on this shift, one participant shared: “I mean, definitely my confidence has improved with him… I feel like I understand him more and his needs and how to help him.” During our project, mothers noticed that when they sang for pleasure rather than just trying to soothe a crying infant, and the baby was in a good mood, the child responded beautifully. One mother noted: "Choosing my moments when I'm singing to him, perhaps not to soothe him, I don't think it works, but when he's in a good spot, as part of our enjoyment, our playtime together, yeah, it's clearly something that he likes." Image by Kiera Burton on Pexels Singing for pleasure and making up songs together became a communication vehicle. Mothers reported that their babies began to babble more, make eye contact, and smile as they watched their mothers' mouths move to familiar tunes, creating a one-on-one interaction that supported emotional synchrony. The Power of the Collective Engaging in these online workshops also helped reduce feelings of isolation during the postpartum period. Even from their own living rooms, mothers were touching base with others navigating this beautifully chaotic season of life. When they sang together, it became a shared experience, a collective exhale. As one mother reflected on the physical relief of these sessions: "You're so consumed with sort of surviving this person... but actually, it does make you feel better to do some quite small things that just make you feel more connected to your own body". You do not need to be a "good" singer. Sometimes, the baby is not in the mood, or a mother feels she cannot "perform". These moments served as a reminder that motherhood is not a performance to be judged, but a continuous journey of learning and adapting. Hearing Themselves Again Throughout my research process, I found a quote that truly inspired me and my project: “You only get to be one mother in this world.” We only have one chance to be a mother and care for our children, and we deserve to live motherhood as healthily and happily as possible. Perhaps singing will not erase the fatigue of sleepless nights, nor is it a substitute for professional mental health support, but it is a powerful and accessible tool that can effectively support the transition to motherhood. Having a baby does not mean a woman must lose herself; rather, motherhood should be considered an enrichment of her identity. By giving mothers space to sing and freely express themselves, we support their need for creativity, joy, and community. We remind them that they are still the protagonists of their own lives and that they have the right to put themselves first. Perhaps singing does not simply help mothers care for their babies. Perhaps it helps mothers hear their inner voice again.

Mental health perspectives on society and world news, exploring how global events, social change, and public discourse impact personal wellbeing. Our Articles on: Read Now Is it the End of the Bad Boy? Take one look at me, and you can probably tell I had an emo phase (“it was never a phase mom”). To this day, I’m still allergic to wearing colour and can be found listening to the 2000s emo and pop punk bands that brought me comfort in my teens. But, at this point, I’m starting to run out of bands to listen to that haven’t had serious allegations made against them. I’m only 30, but so much has progressed since my school days - gay marriage has been legalised, Black Lives Ma Niamh Alford Aug 13 5 min read Could Andy Burnham Be Britain’s First Mental Health Focused PM? Last month, we welcomed Britain’s seventh prime minister in just 10 years. The UK Government amusingly announced Andy Burnham’s arrival with a TikTok video of him entering No. 10, set to the Love Island audio: “A new bombshell has entered the villa.” And he has certainly caused a stir. In the two weeks since coming to power, Burnham has set several major policies in motion, spanning regional devolution, the nationalisation of public services, and efforts to tackle social Sorcha Alford Aug 7 5 min read Ariana Grande: Me and My Truth, We Sit in Silence I vividly remember the 22nd of May 2017. I was 17 years old, on vacation in Italy, and getting ready for the evening. My dad read out breaking news of a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena, after an Ariana Grande concert. Every concert since, as an adult who lives with anxiety, I get incredibly uncomfortable leaving concert venues due to this fear. But this piece isn’t about me. It’s about Ariana Grande. On top of the deadly terrorist attack, she experienced the death o Riddhi Laijawala Aug 6 5 min read Finding Unity in a Divided World Cup With the World Cup having finished, I want to reflect on how it has given me hope in a world that has become increasingly bleak. As a researcher, my day involves independent lab work, often just me and the data. That’s exactly why I’m drawn to watching sports outside of work. The camaraderie feels like the perfect counterbalance. I love the World Cup for how it brings everyone in and fosters a sense of community in a way that few things still do. Nuriza Tukiran Jul 20 5 min read On the Lebanon War, Mental Health, and my Diaspora Experience I’m sure many of you have been following the war between the US and Iran, have seen the headlines of escalations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East, and are starting to feel some of the implications this war is having on the world. I previously wrote a piece covering my experiences at the beginning of the war in the UAE. Now, I am sharing my perspective again, but this time with a focus on my mother country, Lebanon. Lynne Kabbara Jun 3 5 min read The War with Iran: A Perspective from a Gulf State Migrant As one of the thousands of Levantine migrants (originating from the Levant region, including the countries of Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan etc.) whose families are now in the Gulf in pursuit of a better life, my world shattered the morning of the 28th of February. I had returned home from my studies in the UK for a quick visit with my family and to attend a family event. That morning, my mother woke me up claiming the war had started. “What war?” I asked, certain that my Lynne Kabbara Mar 9 5 min read Losing More Than My Home After Leaving Venezuela I was born on December 3rd, 1993, in Caracas’ busiest hospital. I spent my early years in a high-rise apartment at the top of a mountain in Manzanares, living a quiet, ordinary life. Everything changed when Hugo Chávez, once the face of a failed coup, rose to power. My dad saw what was coming, and we eventually left for the United States. Looking back, it's painful to see how the Venezuelan diaspora, my family included, was shaped by those decisions. Mariana Delgado Jan 28 5 min read The Psychology of Deception in The Traitors On ‘The Traitors UK’, an award-winning reality TV competition, strangers trust and betray one another for the chance to win up to £120,000 (and one more day in the presence of Claudia Winkleman’s fringe). There may be no official strategy for winning, but the players who last longest all seem to understand one thing: psychology. Patrycia Gaszczyk Jan 8 5 min read Creating My Own Holiday Traditions as a Muslim Growing up Muslim, I didn’t have many holiday traditions, so I learned to create my own. Today, I’m a Seattle-based writer who has learned to create traditions and define home on my own terms. As a kid, I couldn’t sing the words to the season’s greatest hits, didn’t spend the last month of the year shopping for presents, and never set out cookies for Santa. Instead, Christmas was a day when I would pick up extra shifts to cover for co-workers who were out of town to see their Aleenah Ansari Dec 19, 2025 4 min read Challenging Stigma and Scepticism in the UK’s Mental Health Crisis Britain faces a growing mental health crisis, yet the narrative increasingly blames individuals rather than the conditions that shape their lives. Anna Todd Dec 17, 2025 5 min read Shifting Skills, Not Reality: Teens and AI Chatbots I will shift. Two teenagers scribbled this same line repeatedly in their journals. Both later died by suicide after extensive interactions with Character.AI chatbots Rona Hiley-Mann Dec 16, 2025 5 min read Becoming a mother while watching the genocide of children in Gaza As I mother my own small children in the UK, I can’t help but think of mothers and children in Gaza. Like thousands of others worldwide, I have been watching the genocide in Gaza unfold over the last two years, literally live-streamed to us through civilians on the ground, from their phones to ours. Watching the most horrific war crimes in real time has been both deeply surreal and gut-wrenching. No human being should have to endure what the citizens of Gaza have, no matt Sapphire Allard Nov 25, 2025 5 min read Afghanistan's Press conference in India failed to pass the feminist check On 10th October, 2025, the Afghan Embassy hosted a forum with Afghanistan’s Foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, India. The embassy had invited over sixteen journalists, and not a single one of them was a woman, let alone a woman from intersectional identities. In the forum, it was observed by other journalists, how women and foreign media were turned away from the gate of the embassy, and has been widely discussed in the media. As a young woman journalist, ba Varisha Tariq Nov 21, 2025 5 min read When Borders Keep Shifting Do you ever think about why you were born where you were born? I was born in France because a border opened. When France granted Tunisia independence in March of 1956, my father crossed the Mediterranean sea along with thousands of others, carrying with him a language, a faith, a culture, and a hope that the new world would be gentler. That decision between a man seeking opportunity and a nation opening its borders shaped my existence before I ever took my first breath. Halima Snoussi Nov 18, 2025 5 min read A critique of Vogue’s ‘embarrassing boyfriend’ concept And there we have it. As of October 2025, boyfriends have become embarrassing, according to Vogue. An article published on 25th October talks about boyfriends being embarrassing, and about women being uncool or losers because they have romantic partners. This controversial piece has been discussed all over social media, and on popular news outlets, with Instagram celebrities sharing their opinions, either agreeing, or disagreeing with the piece. I came across the p Riddhi Laijawala Nov 17, 2025 5 min read I’m Russian and War in Ukraine Made Me Mentally Ill I’m a Paris-based Russian reporter, and for more than three years I have been covering anti-war resistance in my country. At this point, I should be used to the war in Ukraine. But when I recently met a Ukrainian artist at a party, something strange happened. I introduced myself to him in English. But since many people from post-Soviet countries in the room were speaking Russian (which is our common language), he asked: “Do you speak Russian?”. “Yes,” I responded. Alexandra Domenech Nov 13, 2025 5 min read Monday stress doesn’t retire when we do Image Source: cottonbro studio on Pexels I’ve never found Mondays particularly stressful. Over time, I’ve learned to manage my energy more intentionally, and as a freelance journalist, I’ve picked up strategies that work for me. For instance, if I work over the weekend, I try to keep my Mondays lighter, a way to ease back into the week and protect my mental balance. But if I worked in a company or had an office role with fixed hours, that kind of adjustment would be much hard Giulia Mondaini Nov 5, 2025 5 min read Racism, Violence, and Belonging in Britain Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and violence which some readers may find distressing. On Tuesday 9 th ... Samrina K Sangha Sep 17, 2025 6 min read Introducing the Power of Synthetic Memories to our Lives It is in our human nature to forget details of the past, especially as we grow older; memories from our childhood become less vivid. Many... Layecha Fidahoussen Jul 29, 2025 5 min read Forced Motherhood: The Cost of Abortion Bans In my opinion, pregnancy and motherhood can be a profound and beautiful experience. The ability to nurture and bring a new life into the... Samrina K Sangha Jun 30, 2025 5 min read How ‘down bad’ can you be when dating? If you feel like dating is a Sisyphean task, you’re not alone. As a neurodivergent woman, I’m probably (definitely) considered an... Chloe Johnson Jun 25, 2025 4 min read The Dangerous Allure of #SkinnyTok: Why we need to talk about it Looking forward to a sweet treat or getting excited for lunch is something I’m sure many can relate to. But with the new #SkinnyTok trend sweeping across TikTok, this normal hunger and interest in food is now being shamed. Creators, and the algorithm, are now pushing toxic mantras like “If your stomach is growling, pretend it's applauding you” and “You don’t need a treat, you’re not a dog”. Maddy Kirkpatrick May 15, 2025 5 min read How women in Indian Kashmir confront mental health crisis and stigma In the snow-covered villages of Indian-controlled Kashmir, women have silently shouldered the burden of mental illness for years, their pain hidden beneath the rigid customs and traditions that have shaped their lives. Mental illness in Kashmir has often been misdiagnosed, with symptoms frequently attributed to other health issues, mainly gastrointestinal or cardiovascular problems. Many people in the Himalayan valley, “known as paradise on earth,” also believe that anxi Irfan Amin Malik May 2, 2025 6 min read The Growth of Hyper-individualism in Western Society A rather shocking discourse which has been appearing on my social media feed recently is, “Would you pick your friend up from the... Sara Soltanpour Apr 22, 2025 4 min read The Troubling Impact of Trump's Health and Science Policies As an American living in England, working in health and science research for the past 7 years, I've observed from across the Atlantic how my home country's immense potential is often overshadowed by policies that seem to harm rather than help its citizens. Anonymous Apr 10, 2025 5 min read Ensuring Real Choice in End-of-Life Care Why Should Improvements in Palliative and Social Care Be an Integral Part of the Assisted Dying Legislation in the UK? Trigger warning:... Francesca Mancino Apr 8, 2025 5 min read Adolescence: the Trojan horse to end violence against women? Last weekend, I decided to watch Netflix’s new drama Adolescence. I had been apprehensive to watch it, assuming it would be another... Sorcha Alford Apr 7, 2025 5 min read Two Perspectives on One War Perspective I: The Distance of Fear On October 7, 2023, I was in New York. Autumn was settling into the city with a kind of effortless... Ruwan Teodros Apr 2, 2025 4 min read Young cancer survivors on the impact of cancer fakers A hard pill to swallow Upon being confirmed to have cancer, you realise that so much of it is physical. Which is a hard pill to swallow,... Ellie Philpotts Mar 20, 2025 5 min read 2025: The end of the Doomscroll Era? Predicting the future is hard. There’s no secret about it. We so often hear about trends, stock market changes, and big business... Lea Schmid Feb 27, 2025 5 min read 1 2 3 4 5

In each video interview, Rachel sits down for an hour-long chat with some fantastic figures in the world of mental health advocacy, who have made significant impact in the broader field through their ongoing research and activism. Read Now Meet Rachel Kelly Rachel Kelly is a keynote speaker, bestselling writer and mental health advocate. She shares her experience of depression and evidence-based strategies that helped her recover. Rachel has spoken all over the world from Delhi to Sydney, America and across the UK. Her four critically acclaimed books are published in over 10 countries. Rachel is a well-known media commentator and former Times journalist. She is an official ambassador for mental health charities Rethink Mental Illness , SANE and The Counselling Foundation as well as Head Talks . Rachel is a member of the Speakers Collective , a network of quality assured public speakers, and an affiliate of King’s College London for her work on mental health awareness and as host of the Inspire the Mind interviews. Rachel Kelly's ITM Interview Series What is it? In each video interview , Rachel sits down for an hour-long chat with some fantastic figures in the world of mental health advocacy, who have made significant impact in the broader field through their ongoing research and activism. Where and When? Episodes are released fortnightly on YouTube and IGTV, and will be coming to our website soon . New Season Season 3 to begin in March 2022 . Rachel also contributes to ITM with her own column of articles on lifestyle and relationships and the power of poetry. Articles Could Low Brain Iron Levels Help Explain Schizophrenia? I have always wanted to understand how the brain works. When I was 6, my grandfather had a serious stroke. This always witty, happy, active man became quiet, sad, and unable to move the left side of his body. He stopped eating to try to end his life several times but was kept alive with feeding tubes until he passed 5 years later. Soon after, I came across the author Oliver Sacks. His books taught me that the brain doesn't just support who we are; it is who we are. Science & Research Luke Vano 3 days ago 5 min read What Actually Helps: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD ADHD diagnoses in England have risen sharply since 2020, though diagnosis still lags behind estimated prevalence. But for many, diagnosis is just the beginning. While finally having an explanation for years of challenges can bring relief, a new question follows: What now? Understanding you have ADHD is one thing; learning how to manage it is another. I’m a therapist for ADHD, with ADHD. Before specialising in ADHD therapy, I experienced many of the challenges I now help clie Lived Experience Laura Huddart 4 days ago 5 min read Your Twenties Are for Mistakes Unless Anxiety Gets In The Way You think your twenties are going to follow the shape of New Girl or Sex and the City. You forget most of these characters are in their thirties because that doesn’t fit the narrative, and your twenties are all about the narrative. You’re expecting an eclectic gut-punch of a decade, but there’s probably still a worrying amount of quiet. Give yourself a little more time because, well, 2020 happened, and more worldly events seem to keep happening on top of it. Lifestyle & Relationships Chloe Johnson 4 days ago 5 min read A Family Intervention for Severe Behaviour Problems I am Simone, a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist employed by South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. I am both a researcher and a clinician. I work within a National Specialist team that oversees the delivery of an evidence-based intervention to young people and their families, where there are high concerns around the young person’s behaviour. The intervention is called Multisystemic Therapy or MST. The aim of treatment is to prevent the young person from go Science & Research Simone Fox 6 days ago 4 min read Cara’s Path to Finding Herself at Notting Hill Carnival - A Short Story Since losing her Uncle Easton, Cara hadn't felt like herself — until she played mas again, dancing to groovy soca in the sun at Notting Hill Carnival. Cara has always been someone who keeps to herself. You could call her a lone wolf by nature — she keeps her emotions close but is the kind of person who is always there to lend a listening ear and a smile to those on their heaviest days. Having first experienced depression at 15, Cara would wander into her dad's room and lie on Short Stories Kanika Phillip Aug 28 6 min read How Kashmir’s Shortage of Psychiatrists Leaves Patients Misdiagnosed In the villages and towns of Indian-administered Kashmir, mental illness often arrives disguised as something else. People complain of racing heartbeats, chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, stomach discomfort, and fear. Many spend months, and sometimes years, visiting hospitals convinced they are suffering from heart disease or another physical illness. They undergo repeated tests, collect folders full of prescriptions, and move from one doctor to another in search of ans Lived Experience Irfan Amin Malik Aug 27 5 min read Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Hidden No More? Most of us will know that nausea and vomiting are common in pregnancy, affecting up to 70% of pregnant women. Less well known is hyperemesis gravidarum, or HG, in which nausea and vomiting reach a severity such that women struggle to eat or drink, often losing weight or becoming dehydrated, sometimes to the extent that they require intravenous fluids. As a neuropsychiatric doctor and researcher at King’s College London, I have a particular interest in the overlap of physical Science & Research Hamilton Morrin Aug 26 5 min read Time to Express Ourselves After my early studies in engineering, where I learnt how to build systems, make them work, or fix them, I returned to my books in my forties to study psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience. I came to appreciate that, while some of these disciplines are also “technical” (an issue or illness is identified, categorised, and addressed through problem-solving), others are much closer to the human dimension. Science & Research Gabriele Perrone Aug 25 5 min read The Gold in the Cracks I learned to live two lives before I learned much else. My mother had schizophrenia. I was a child and did not know what the word meant. What I knew was that some months she did not get out of bed, and I fed myself. My dad drank his sorrows away. I remember him coming home drunk, and my brothers and I learning to disappear. In that house, invisibility was how you stayed safe. That was the first life. Lived Experience Manuel Gomez Aug 24 6 min read What Four Years of Research Taught Me About Treating Depression In Pregnancy In November 2022, I took my first step into science as a full-time researcher. I had no idea then that the very first project I worked on would take nearly four years to reach publication. In this article, I will talk about what truly works to treat depression in pregnancy, and why I do this research. Depression in pregnancy, which is known as antenatal depression (AD), affects nearly 30% of pregnant women around the world. What makes AD so important to treat is the negati Science & Research Riddhi Laijawala Aug 21 4 min read

Inspire the Mind has the pleasure of working with established writers, who's work is displayed in this section about Maternal Mental Health. Our Articles on: Read Now Could Low Brain Iron Levels Help Explain Schizophrenia? I have always wanted to understand how the brain works. When I was 6, my grandfather had a serious stroke. This always witty, happy, active man became quiet, sad, and unable to move the left side of his body. He stopped eating to try to end his life several times but was kept alive with feeding tubes until he passed 5 years later. Soon after, I came across the author Oliver Sacks. His books taught me that the brain doesn't just support who we are; it is who we are. Science & Research Luke Vano 3 days ago 5 min read What Actually Helps: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD ADHD diagnoses in England have risen sharply since 2020, though diagnosis still lags behind estimated prevalence. But for many, diagnosis is just the beginning. While finally having an explanation for years of challenges can bring relief, a new question follows: What now? Understanding you have ADHD is one thing; learning how to manage it is another. I’m a therapist for ADHD, with ADHD. Before specialising in ADHD therapy, I experienced many of the challenges I now help clie Lived Experience Laura Huddart 4 days ago 5 min read Your Twenties Are for Mistakes Unless Anxiety Gets In The Way You think your twenties are going to follow the shape of New Girl or Sex and the City. You forget most of these characters are in their thirties because that doesn’t fit the narrative, and your twenties are all about the narrative. You’re expecting an eclectic gut-punch of a decade, but there’s probably still a worrying amount of quiet. Give yourself a little more time because, well, 2020 happened, and more worldly events seem to keep happening on top of it. Lifestyle & Relationships Chloe Johnson 4 days ago 5 min read A Family Intervention for Severe Behaviour Problems I am Simone, a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist employed by South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. I am both a researcher and a clinician. I work within a National Specialist team that oversees the delivery of an evidence-based intervention to young people and their families, where there are high concerns around the young person’s behaviour. The intervention is called Multisystemic Therapy or MST. The aim of treatment is to prevent the young person from go Science & Research Simone Fox 6 days ago 4 min read Cara’s Path to Finding Herself at Notting Hill Carnival - A Short Story Since losing her Uncle Easton, Cara hadn't felt like herself — until she played mas again, dancing to groovy soca in the sun at Notting Hill Carnival. Cara has always been someone who keeps to herself. You could call her a lone wolf by nature — she keeps her emotions close but is the kind of person who is always there to lend a listening ear and a smile to those on their heaviest days. Having first experienced depression at 15, Cara would wander into her dad's room and lie on Short Stories Kanika Phillip Aug 28 6 min read How Kashmir’s Shortage of Psychiatrists Leaves Patients Misdiagnosed In the villages and towns of Indian-administered Kashmir, mental illness often arrives disguised as something else. People complain of racing heartbeats, chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, stomach discomfort, and fear. Many spend months, and sometimes years, visiting hospitals convinced they are suffering from heart disease or another physical illness. They undergo repeated tests, collect folders full of prescriptions, and move from one doctor to another in search of ans Lived Experience Irfan Amin Malik Aug 27 5 min read Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Hidden No More? Most of us will know that nausea and vomiting are common in pregnancy, affecting up to 70% of pregnant women. Less well known is hyperemesis gravidarum, or HG, in which nausea and vomiting reach a severity such that women struggle to eat or drink, often losing weight or becoming dehydrated, sometimes to the extent that they require intravenous fluids. As a neuropsychiatric doctor and researcher at King’s College London, I have a particular interest in the overlap of physical Science & Research Hamilton Morrin Aug 26 5 min read Time to Express Ourselves After my early studies in engineering, where I learnt how to build systems, make them work, or fix them, I returned to my books in my forties to study psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience. I came to appreciate that, while some of these disciplines are also “technical” (an issue or illness is identified, categorised, and addressed through problem-solving), others are much closer to the human dimension. Science & Research Gabriele Perrone Aug 25 5 min read The Gold in the Cracks I learned to live two lives before I learned much else. My mother had schizophrenia. I was a child and did not know what the word meant. What I knew was that some months she did not get out of bed, and I fed myself. My dad drank his sorrows away. I remember him coming home drunk, and my brothers and I learning to disappear. In that house, invisibility was how you stayed safe. That was the first life. Lived Experience Manuel Gomez Aug 24 6 min read What Four Years of Research Taught Me About Treating Depression In Pregnancy In November 2022, I took my first step into science as a full-time researcher. I had no idea then that the very first project I worked on would take nearly four years to reach publication. In this article, I will talk about what truly works to treat depression in pregnancy, and why I do this research. Depression in pregnancy, which is known as antenatal depression (AD), affects nearly 30% of pregnant women around the world. What makes AD so important to treat is the negati Science & Research Riddhi Laijawala Aug 21 4 min read Care-Experienced Young People Shaping Mental Health Research This piece was written by researchers at University College London (Havovi Khareghat and Eva Sprecher) and lived-experience advisors (Clo H, Valerie, Ace Garmodon & Alfie-James Waring) from the ReThink programme. ReThink is a UKRI-funded research project that explored what makes a difference to the mental health of care-experienced young people (who have grown up in ‘state care’ e.g., foster care or children’s homes) moving through early and late adolescence. Lived Experience Havovi Khareghat Aug 20 5 min read Men’s Grooming and Mental Health: Why the Routine Matters I'm Adam, a 28-year-old lad from Nottingham, and I'm the founder of Kick The Stigma — a male grooming brand on a mission to support men's mental health. That sentence probably sounds a bit unusual: a hair product brand and mental health support in the same breath. But stick with me, because the two are more connected than you might think. My journey didn’t start with products. Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of love, joy and support. Lived Experience Adam Hyland Aug 19 6 min read Weathering the Storm of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria “Drama Queen” “Forever a victim”“She’s doing the ‘woe is me’ act again” “She’s having another hissy fit." These were just some of the things I grew up hearing about myself – and continue to. In hindsight, remarks like these were thinly veiled commentary that people saw me as too sensitive, too emotional, too moody - and too easily hurt by the things they did or said. Lived Experience Emma Green Aug 18 5 min read The Invisible Challenge of Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis is a rare, autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) gene, located on one of the 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes. An affected child inherits two mutated copies of the gene, one from each parent, who possess only a single defective copy and are asymptomatic “healthy carriers”. Science & Research Giovanna Zerial Aug 17 5 min read The Long Way Home Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey contains all the elements of an epic: gods, monsters, storms, shipwrecks and spectacular battles. Yet the part that stayed with me was much quieter. It was Odysseus’s growing recognition that victory in war may be an illusion, and that even a victorious soldier can return carrying profound psychological wounds. Matt Damon’s Odysseus is celebrated as the brilliant strategist who conceived the Trojan Horse and brought a ten-year war to an end. Arts & Culture Tony Woods Aug 14 6 min read Is it the End of the Bad Boy? Take one look at me, and you can probably tell I had an emo phase (“it was never a phase mom”). To this day, I’m still allergic to wearing colour and can be found listening to the 2000s emo and pop punk bands that brought me comfort in my teens. But, at this point, I’m starting to run out of bands to listen to that haven’t had serious allegations made against them. I’m only 30, but so much has progressed since my school days - gay marriage has been legalised, Black Lives Ma Society & World News Niamh Alford Aug 13 5 min read The Curse of Being a Lover Girl: The Fantasy of Being Chosen Before many women even know who they are, they already know what it feels like to long for love. Girls grow up consuming love stories long before they ever experience love itself. Five-year-old me already dreamed about my future wedding and the white princess dress I would wear. Many of us spent our early teens creating Pinterest wedding boards, singing along to Taylor Swift heartbreak anthems, watching Snow White and Aurora being kissed awake by their true love, and imaginin Arts & Culture Caroline Lackner Aug 12 5 min read Discovering the “I” in Impact “If you’ve spoken to me for even 5 minutes, you know I stammer. What you don’t know, unless you stammer too, is what I’ve undergone in the 5 decades I’ve been a stammerer”. This was how I started the message I sent to friends and family when sharing my recent ITM article, Stammering: An Invisible Handicap. In the piece, I shared my lifelong experience as a stammerer and spoke about ways in which those who stammer can be treated with more acceptance and compassion. Lifestyle & Relationships Manan Dhuldhoya Aug 11 5 min read Child Screen Time Guidelines - But What About Their Parents? The UK Government recommends no more than one hour a day for under 5’s, but this is an unachievable standard for many modern parents. With screen usage increasing during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, for many families, screens are a part of daily life. Increasingly, educational and homework demands have also taken a virtual format since the pandemic. In March 2026, the UK government released a set of guidelines regarding screen time use for under 5s. Science & Research Taeona Morgan Aug 10 5 min read Could Andy Burnham Be Britain’s First Mental Health Focused PM? Last month, we welcomed Britain’s seventh prime minister in just 10 years. The UK Government amusingly announced Andy Burnham’s arrival with a TikTok video of him entering No. 10, set to the Love Island audio: “A new bombshell has entered the villa.” And he has certainly caused a stir. In the two weeks since coming to power, Burnham has set several major policies in motion, spanning regional devolution, the nationalisation of public services, and efforts to tackle social Society & World News Sorcha Alford Aug 7 5 min read Ariana Grande: Me and My Truth, We Sit in Silence I vividly remember the 22nd of May 2017. I was 17 years old, on vacation in Italy, and getting ready for the evening. My dad read out breaking news of a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena, after an Ariana Grande concert. Every concert since, as an adult who lives with anxiety, I get incredibly uncomfortable leaving concert venues due to this fear. But this piece isn’t about me. It’s about Ariana Grande. On top of the deadly terrorist attack, she experienced the death o Society & World News Riddhi Laijawala Aug 6 5 min read The Link Between OCD & My Eating Disorder The first thing most people learn about me is my résumé. As a professor with a decent public profile, I’m easy to Google. What most people don’t know is that I’m quite overwhelmed. It’s not the job that does it. It’s the mental health condition I’ve been living with since 1997: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Oh, and there’s also my eating disorder. OCD brings unwanted, cycling thoughts that counter my values and invites compulsive mental/physical behaviours. Science & Research Marek Muller Aug 5 5 min read The Food Writer Who Couldn't Eat I once spent three hours describing a tasting menu built around fermented citrus and smoked seafood while secretly feeling nauseous and craving plain buttered toast. That contradiction defined both my career and my life. I was living with undiagnosed conditions that affected everything, even if I did not yet have the language to understand them. For years, I had built my reputation as a food writer. Lived Experience Beth Rush Aug 4 5 min read Three Generations, Persistent Patterns Growing up in a three-generation South Asian household alongside my paternal grandparents, parents, and siblings, I recognise many of these fragments reflected in our interactions, patterns of thinking, values, and behaviours: a difficulty communicating openly, discomfort with emotional expression, a reluctance to accept help during times of struggle, a desire to control the uncontrollable, and a tendency towards chronic people-pleasing. Lived Experience Sanaa Chughtai Aug 3 5 min read The Danger Zone - A Short Story In all his time on the island, Kieran had seen many things, but the girl stepping off of the boat at the coast scared him most of all. Kieran stared at the girl: half incensed, half astonished. She must have been young, no more than 11 or 12, with two black pigtails billowing in the ocean wind. Her little feet wrestled against the sand, almost sinking under the weight of the boat as she heaved it up the shore. Kieran’s heart plummeted to his stomach. She wasn’t supposed to be Short Stories Zara-Evana Mitchen Jul 31 15 min read Focused Ultrasound: Can Sound Waves Treat Depression? I have always been fascinated by research that explores new ways of treating conditions that sit at the intersection of the mind and body. As our understanding of these complex relationships continues to grow, so does the potential for innovative and therapeutic approaches. I am currently conducting a systematic review as part of my dissertation for the course, MSc Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface. Science & Research Erin Collins Jul 30 5 min read What Does Social Media Say About Perinatal Mental Health? "But doctor, that's not what it says on the internet." This is something a patient being treated for bipolar disorder told my colleague Juan during a routine consultation. She wasn't challenging his advice; she was telling him what she had read on social media and asking how it fit with his recommendations. That one sentence stayed with him since and sent us both down a rabbit hole. Lived Experience Nuria Laherrán Cantera Jul 29 5 min read Muslim Women Are Not Victims “I don’t understand why I have to put a stole to cover myself up,” I said, horrified. I was fourteen, with simmering teenage anger, making sense of the world and not liking the position Muslim women were often put into. I had clarity; if you want to wear something, you wear it, whether Hijab or dresses, and if you don’t like something you don’t wear it. But my extended family was insistent that it was the ‘right’ age for me to start covering up, a narrative common for many Mu Lived Experience Varisha Tariq Jul 28 5 min read How Stoicism Became My Antidote For Anxiety Growing up, I thought Dad was stoic. He always managed to keep his emotions in check, even when he was diagnosed with Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, alongside my uncle and aunt. Even as he watched them pass away and felt his own muscles atrophy until he couldn’t leave the house anymore, he kept a stiff upper lip like the British men of his generation had been taught to do by their fathers. When Dad died in 2025, I thought about his stoicism and how I was going to cope with the Lived Experience Jamie Ryder Jul 27 5 min read The Haaland Effect: Men in Sports Are Changing the Narrative I’ll admit, I’m not normally the target audience for the Men’s World Cup. I don’t really care for team sports and am rarely motivated by competition. And yet, I couldn’t help but be drawn into the football this year. Not because of a sudden love of the sport, but because of the players themselves. My Instagram feed has been full of videos of Erling Haaland, the Man City player on Norway’s World Cup team. And I’m not the only one. It seems women everywhere are loving the “Stri Arts & Culture Niamh Alford Jul 24 5 min read Banning Social Media for Under-16s Won't Solve the Problem As a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, I spend a lot of time teaching students about child development, mental health, and the evidence surrounding digital technology use. Recently, proposals to ban social media access for under-16s have gained increasing political support in the UK. The idea is simple and appealing: if social media is harming young people's mental health, remove access and the problem will improve. The ban was put into Science & Research Mark Kennedy Jul 23 5 min read Spinning Plates: Managing my Physical and Mental Health I am 66 years old. I have had bipolar since the age of 21. (Bipolar is a condition where a person’s mood may go high or low). I have written three times before on this platform: about diagnostic overshadowing, about mixed affective states, and about living with a serious mental health condition. As well as bipolar, I have developed several physical health conditions. I have ulcerative colitis (an inflammatory bowel disease). I have also experienced two lymphomas. Lived Experience Angela Merriott Jul 22 5 min read Why Writing Became My Most Reliable Mental Health Routine People are often surprised when I tell them that writing became one of the healthiest things in my life. From the outside, I have always seemed like someone doing okay. I joke a lot, laugh easily, and rarely let uncomfortable emotions sit visibly on my face for too long. Humour became my survival tool long before writing did. Whenever friends tried checking in on me emotionally, I usually brushed it off with jokes. Lived Experience Israel Temmie Jul 21 5 min read Finding Unity in a Divided World Cup With the World Cup having finished, I want to reflect on how it has given me hope in a world that has become increasingly bleak. As a researcher, my day involves independent lab work, often just me and the data. That’s exactly why I’m drawn to watching sports outside of work. The camaraderie feels like the perfect counterbalance. I love the World Cup for how it brings everyone in and fosters a sense of community in a way that few things still do. Society & World News Nuriza Tukiran Jul 20 5 min read