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Behind-the-scenes insights into mental health research, written by scientists and academics on the studies that are making the headlines and shaping the field of psychiatry and psychology. 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. 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 Laura Huddart 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 Simone Fox 6 days ago 4 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 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. Gabriele Perrone Aug 25 5 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 Riddhi Laijawala Aug 21 4 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”. Giovanna Zerial Aug 17 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. Taeona Morgan Aug 10 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. Marek Muller Aug 5 5 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. Erin Collins Jul 30 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 Mark Kennedy Jul 23 5 min read Understanding Dental Anxiety: Breaking the Cycle of Fear and Avoidance Racing heart, sweaty palms, feelings faint, and nausea are just some of the physiological manifestations of dental anxiety experienced by patients and witnessed by dental professionals every day. Working in a general dental practice, I have encountered countless individuals who begin their appointment by declaring, "I hate the dentist," before anything else is said. For many, these feelings extend far beyond simple nervousness. Amiytha Vasanthan Jul 17 5 min read Easier Said Than Done Lifestyle advice has become almost inseparable from conversations about mental health. Open a newspaper, scroll through social media, or visit a health website, and the message is strikingly consistent: exercise regularly, eat well, sleep properly, reduce alcohol, stay connected. These recommendations are usually well-intentioned and evidence-based. Yet for people living with severe mental illness (SMI), they can feel strangely out of reach. Marianne Inglis Jul 9 5 min read OCD: Lived & Research Experience on Attachment and Recovery Amidst growing discourse surrounding mental health, there is one condition that, I feel, has been left out. That condition is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The condition has been discussed previously on Inspire The Mind, both in regard to avoidance and reproductive care and first-hand, lived experience. I strongly recommend reading these pieces to get a fuller understanding of the condition. Joel Bates Jul 8 4 min read Are We Over-Psychologising Public Health Problems? I’ve always been fascinated by the gap between what people know they should do and what they actually do. Why do some people ignore health advice, while others make lasting changes to improve their wellbeing? As a lecturer in health psychology, I spend most of the academic year teaching and supervising research on health promotion and behaviour change. We explore why people smoke, struggle to exercise regularly, attend screening appointments, or take medication as prescribed. Daniel Gaffiero Jul 2 5 min read The Science of Why Art Moves Us Eric Kandel, Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist in Reductionism in Art and Brain Science, argues that our brain is not a camera that simply replicates an image. It is a creativity machine that takes incomplete information from the outside world and makes it complete. This means when you stand before a masterpiece, you're not passively observing, you're actively creating meaning. In The Age of Insight, Kandel calls this the beholder's share: a concept rooted in art history and Diana Py Velloso Jun 30 5 min read Hidden Obstacles to Cervical Screenings As my friends and I approach our 25th birthdays, we have been apprehensively awaiting the arrival of our text messages from the NHS inviting us to our first cervical screenings. These screenings, previously referred to as smear tests, are offered every 5 years to people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 to check cervical health and help prevent cervical cancer. During the appointment, a tube-shaped tool called a speculum is inserted into the vagina and a sample of cells is taken fo Olivia Marsh Jun 25 5 min read When Reality Feels Far Away Have you ever found yourself staring out of the window on a train and suddenly realised you had no idea how many stops had passed? Most of us know what it’s like to experience these mild and temporary mental “check-outs” from time to time but might not realise that these sorts of feelings or experiences exist on the spectrum of dissociation, a term used to describe a range of experiences involving a disrupted or altered sense of connection to thoughts, memories, emotions, the Merritt Millman Jun 23 6 min read The Men Minds Project: Young men making time for young men My name is Nina, and I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice. This year, on the occasion of Men’s Health Week, I wanted to share how co-producing research and working alongside young men can help us understand and address the crisis in men’s mental health, drawing on my experience leading the Men Minds project as Principal Investigator. Nina Vaswani Jun 12 5 min read The Condition Medicine Misnamed: Why PMOS could rewrite the narrative I wonder when women’s health will catch up, if ever, maybe not in my lifetime, but the latest break- through for women’s health is the update in naming Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), as announced in the Lancet. A global nod to the endocrine and metabolic ramifications of the condition, and coming away from viewing it as merely a gynaecological problem. Who am I, why do I care, shall I step off my soap-box now? Well no Sophie McFarland Jun 5 4 min read The Renewed Women’s Health Strategy: What it means for PMDD As a Research Assistant on the newly launched Cycle Study at KCL, I am hugely motivated to improve outcomes for people living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). PMDD is a severe mood disorder in which symptoms, like anxiety and depression, happen in the weeks leading up to the start of a period. For more about PMDD see earlier Inspire the Mind article by Dr Ellen Lambert. Emma Diskin May 28 5 min read How does Motivation Shift across the Menstrual Cycle? Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to the emotional and physical changes many people experience in the days before a menstrual period, including anxiety, low mood, irritability, fatigue, and bloating. At its most severe, when symptoms are debilitating and interfere with daily life, it is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Despite affecting an estimated 250 million people worldwide, we still do not fully understand why these symptoms occur. Annalise Whines May 27 5 min read Rethinking Period Poverty in the UK I’m Kate Smith, CEO and co-founder of Hey Girls, a menstrual educator with lived experience of the issues surrounding period poverty and menstrual health inequality. Those experiences are what continue to drive my mission: leading a social enterprise built to create social good, champion women’s health, and ensure everyone can manage their period with dignity. Hey Girls CIC (Community Interest Company) is a not-for-profit social enterprise working to eradicate period poverty Kate Smith May 26 5 min read Rewriting Women’s Health: From Gaps to Real Options There’s something that has never quite sat right with me about how we discuss women’s health. We often state that the healthcare system is failing women. But when we look more closely, we can start to question whether it was ever actually designed with women in mind. Before anything else, I was a cancer clinician. I’ve sat with women at some of the hardest points in their lives, going through treatment and trying to process diagnoses that often came too late. Lucie Osborne May 25 5 min read Imagination: A Double-Edged Sword We have an extraordinary ability to imagine. Our imagination lets us revisit the past, rehearse the future, create entirely new experiences and worlds... all within our minds. But are we always in control of what we see in our minds?My name is Eman, I’m a PhD candidate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at the Imagine Better Lab. My research explores why young people with low mood and depression might experience upsetting images playing in their minds Eman Yousuf May 20 4 min read Teaching AI to Listen to the Language of Mental Health Language is at the heart of mental health. It is how clinicians describe what they observe, and how people express what they feel. But what happens when we ask AI to read it? I am a clinical informatician at the CAMHS Digital Lab, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London. My work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence and child and adolescent mental health. Sarjhana Ragunathan Brindha May 19 5 min read The Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS): The Illusion of Health There are stories one hears at the gym that are impossible to forget. I am Giovanna, a passionate pharmacist with a deep commitment to pharmaceutical care, mental health, and healthcare communication. As a former athlete and dedicated “gym rat”, I translate the discipline and resilience gained from competitive sports (I was in the Italian kayak Olympic team in 2010-2012) into my professional practice, and I have learnt that the deepest wounds are frequently the invisible one Giovanna Zerial May 12 5 min read Closing the Gap Between Dementia Diagnosis and Support One in two of us in the UK will be directly affected by dementia in our lifetime, either by caring for someone with dementia, developing it ourselves, or both. But compared to other major health conditions, like cancer, effective treatments aren’t readily available, and there is very little support following a diagnosis. I’m Natalie, a Research Assistant at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, King’s College London, working on the DETERMIND study. Natalie Tawney May 7 6 min read Borderline Personality Disorder: The Battlefield of Stigma In my career as a researcher, I have heard the phrases “BPD patients are a hassle” and “don’t touch borderline with a bargepole”. They’re throwaway remarks, but they often are said from the mouths of people who I would otherwise describe as intelligent and deeply empathetic. As a researcher at King’s with roots in community mental health projects, documentary filmmaking and getting almost to the end of a sudoku then realising I’ve made a mistake a long time ago, I’m used to Luce Stewart May 6 5 min read How Did I End Up Here? In 2019, my father was given a mixed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. I didn’t know much about the illness, despite three of my four grandparents also having had it. Stepping in to be the main caregiver has taken me on a seven-year journey of discovery. Whilst sad, it’s been a transformational experience. Each day, I’ve been exposed to how the mind we take for granted interacts with a body we also often take for granted. Daniel Cunningham May 5 4 min read 1 2 3 4 5

Original short stories exploring mental health, identity, and the human experience through creative and reflective writing. Our Short Stories: Cara’s Path to Finding Herself at Notting Hill Carnival - A Short Story Kanika Phillip Aug 28 6 min read The Danger Zone - A Short Story Zara-Evana Mitchen Jul 31 15 min read The Swimmer — A Short Story Donna Ferguson Jun 26 6 min read Wrong Side of the Bed - A Short Story Eloise Jones May 29 11 min read Two Dozen Red Balloons - A Short Story Emily Zarevich May 1 12 min read The Teacher and The Mother — A Short Story Emily Zarevich Feb 27 5 min read Day After Day — A Short Story Chloe Smith Jan 30 11 min read Who Art in Heaven – A Short Story Inspire the Mind Nov 28, 2025 8 min read Tongue Tied — A Short Story Patrick Cash Oct 31, 2025 12 min read The Quiet Room: A Short Story Dave Brennan Oct 3, 2025 6 min read 1 2 3 4

Our articles focus on the intersection between mental health, science and society. We do this with the help of writers with lived experience and academics. Discover first-person mental health experiences written by people with lived experience, reflecting on diagnosis, healthcare systems, identity and daily life. Our Articles on: Read Now 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 Laura Huddart 4 days ago 5 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 Irfan Amin Malik Aug 27 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. Manuel Gomez Aug 24 6 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. 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. 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. Emma Green Aug 18 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. Manan Dhuldhoya Aug 11 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. 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. 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. Sanaa Chughtai Aug 3 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. 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 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 Jamie Ryder Jul 27 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. 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. Israel Temmie Jul 21 5 min read Why Survivors Don’t Need to Be Inspirational I left an abusive marriage. Four turbulent years later, their father abducted them, taking them out of the country and out of my reach for more than two years. When they finally came home, we were no longer the same people. In the aftermath, I began writing our story in the margins of my life, after work, before school events, and between counselling sessions, trying to make sense of what had happened to us. Lizbeth Meredith Jul 16 5 min read On Rethinking Victimhood I was called a survivor before I understood the word, and styled as a victim long after I stopped recognising myself in it. I am Srijani, a writer, poet and educator based in India. Being a neurodivergent survivor myself, I have expressed my thoughts on victimhood and the perspectives on it in my article. I hope this helps you understand and navigate what victimhood is and how it stands in the socio-cultural, emotional and psychological contexts we live in. Srijani Mitra Jul 15 5 min read Victims Don’t Owe Us Their Trauma Stories Israel did not allow foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip as it carried out its genocide. In their absence, every person with internet access became a war correspondent. Civilians filmed their ruined homes; fathers stood for photos holding plastic bags containing the remains of their children. A little girl named Renad shared Instagram Reels of recipes made from the rations received in aid packages. Eloise Stark Jul 14 5 min read The Politics of the “Perfect Victim” Many of us would like to think that we always believe the survivors first. That we sympathise with them. But often, what we really believe in is the idea of the “perfect victim.” Victimhood, at least publicly, sometimes comes with unwritten rules. There are expectations people place upon survivors, things they expect to see that qualify someone as believable. You are expected to be visibly hurt, emotionally open and undeniably vulnerable. Your pain has to look recognisable bu Shelley Paterson Jul 13 5 min read All That I Lost to Rugby On a spring day in 2023, I was subbed on at half-time in a rugby game between my university team and the British Army. Two minutes into the second half, I clashed heads with a teammate and briefly lost consciousness. When I came to, I realised something felt very wrong. My first thought was about the exams I had in two months. In the end, the exams went smoothly, and I returned to rugby within 2 months. Tony Cowen Jul 10 5 min read Easier Said Than Done Lifestyle advice has become almost inseparable from conversations about mental health. Open a newspaper, scroll through social media, or visit a health website, and the message is strikingly consistent: exercise regularly, eat well, sleep properly, reduce alcohol, stay connected. These recommendations are usually well-intentioned and evidence-based. Yet for people living with severe mental illness (SMI), they can feel strangely out of reach. Marianne Inglis Jul 9 5 min read OCD: Lived & Research Experience on Attachment and Recovery Amidst growing discourse surrounding mental health, there is one condition that, I feel, has been left out. That condition is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The condition has been discussed previously on Inspire The Mind, both in regard to avoidance and reproductive care and first-hand, lived experience. I strongly recommend reading these pieces to get a fuller understanding of the condition. Joel Bates Jul 8 4 min read Men are Struggling with Loneliness and Isolation. So We Did Something About It. I want to ask you a question. How many close friends do you have? And I mean close friends - friends you could call at 11pm in an emergency and they’d pick-up the phone. Friends who know the things about you which you don’t post on social media. My name is Tom Stroud, and I’m the co-founder of the Shoulder to Shoulder men’s community. In this article, I talk about why feeling connected to others is the most important factor in long-term health and happiness. Tom Stroud Jul 7 5 min read I Learned Masculinity from Silence — And No One Noticed Just a few weeks ago, before speaking on a panel for Black Inclusion Week, I suffered a major panic attack. From the outside, nobody would have known. The “Mental Health Jedi” public persona still worked perfectly well. But internally, I felt completely drained — anxious, overwhelmed, and emotionally flat. Not dramatic, not visibly distressed, just… absent. The strange thing is, that feeling wasn’t new to me. Over the years, I’ve become particularly good at performing while e Chris Frederick Jul 6 5 min read Social Media Ban for Kids: There is More to it Than You May Think I’m eight years old and I receive my first phone. I am discovering social media, there is COVID, and I experience bursts of happiness in doing TikTok dances. Overthinking every comment and every “like”. “Will I get 100 likes today?” This dance, that routine, the lip sync, the newest trend. I am 10 years old, and I love seeing older girls posting makeup and hair tutorials. “I want to grow up to be just like them”. Looking at videos about beauty makes me curious and excited. Joana Luzi Neto Jul 3 5 min read I Did Everything Right, But It Didn’t Pay Off I was four years old when I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (a mental health condition characterised by anxiety about many different day-to-day situations). As an anxious kid, I became very good at performing competence, earning the “gifted kid” label. I was often bullied by my peers, so I found comfort in books, where I didn’t have to talk to anyone. I put all my efforts into academics and prided myself on being the one who always knew the answer. Gabrielle Paquette Jul 1 5 min read Strength in Vulnerability: The rise of men’s sharing groups With men combating loneliness, suicide and the rise of the manosphere, Men’s groups are providing an opportunity to explore masculinity and the pressure they feel. From prison support groups to men-only hikes in nature, from dad clubs to celebrity circles, men are turning to a growing number of communities and brotherhoods to explore their identity, connect with their emotions, and voice their concerns. Cieran Brown Jun 29 5 min read The Power of Addiction I am writing this piece as I believe that navigating addiction within a family is a unique experience that only those who have lived through it can truly understand. I hope these reflections offer some hope to others walking the same path. If anyone came across my family now, you would never be able to tell what we have been through. And although our bond is so unique and tight, our past cannot go unnoticed. In my case, things were different from the beginning. Even though, a Anonymous Jun 24 5 min read The Software Crash: What it feels like when your body shuts down My name is Liam Virgo, and I am an advocate for functional neurological disorder (FND), pushing to raise awareness for this life-changing condition. For the past ten years, I have been fighting a quiet, gruelling war to reclaim my body and my identity after a sudden illness turned my teenage world upside down. While the physical realities of severe FND are devastating, the profound mental health struggles, emotional scars. Liam Virgo Jun 22 5 min read Claw Marks in my Memories: Healing from childhood loneliness I’ve noticed something weird, the last few years: people think I’m friendly. I’m referred to as outgoing, and even, occasionally, extroverted. It feels like I’ve pulled off some magnificent con–because for much of my childhood, I was deeply lonely, and through my adolescence, that loneliness gave me terrible anxiety. This is a story of growth before it is anything else–mostly because I started, socially, around rock bottom. Alex Masse Jun 19 5 min read 1 2 3 4 5

Meet the team of driven and excellent editors behind Inspire the Mind. Our team comprises of clinicians, researchers, psychiatrists, and marketing specialists from King's College London, who are passionate about mental health and believe in making a difference, allowing scientific information to be accessible to everyone. Who Are We? Inspire the Mind is a digital magazine at the intersection of mental health research, lived experience, and society. At a time when mental health is widely discussed but not always well understood, we offer a trusted, evidence-based perspective, bringing research into conversation with real-world experiences. Editorial Process Our in-depth editorial process allows for a collaborative approach between the writer and the editor. We maintain the author's unique writing style through the process, and review all articles before they are published. The publication is overseen by scientists and clinicians, ensuring that the information put out is not only of significant interest to the public, but also factually accurate. Breadth of Content We cover a wide breadth of topics ranging from lived experience, to science and research. Our writers discuss topics of public and personal interest, such as art and culture, as well as lifestyle and relationships. We explore these topics in the context of mental health, and their relation to one another. Our content is carefully chosen to align with current world trends and new scientific discoveries. Behind the Scenes ITM is all about the behind-the-scenes of scientific research in the field of mental health. We offer the unique opportunity to learn more, through our interviews with scientists and academics, about the studies that are making the headlines, the research they’ve dedicated their whole lives to, and the findings that might change the world of psychiatry and psychology as we know it. Our Mission Inspire the Mind is a digital mental health magazine, bringing together the perspectives of researchers , healthcare professionals and people with lived experience . We complement personal narratives with scientific evidence , share ongoing research and clinical work in accessible language, and explore the links between culture and mental health, to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma . About us Our Editor-in-Chief Professor Carmine Pariante I am Professor of Biological Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, and Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. I have more than 30 years of experience as a psychiatrist and more than 400 scientific publications. I like to talk about mental health to the public on The Guardian, the New Humanist, the BBC and other media outlets. My Linktree Our Team The people behind Inspire the Mind Our diverse editorial team comprises clinicians , researchers , psychiatrists , and knowledge translation specialists from King's College London , who are passionate about mental health and believe in making scientific information accessible to everyone. Melisa Kose Co-Founder / Co-Editor Courtney Worrell Co-Founder / Co-Editor Sorcha Alford Managing Editor (Content and Writers) Riddhi Laijawala Managing Editor (Social Media) Kate Hamilton Deputy Editor Giulia Lombardo Assistant Editor Caitlin Pentland Assistant Editor Luca Sforzini Assistant Editor Frances Weston Assistant Editor Tony Woods Managing Editor (Finances) Zuzanna Zajkowska Assistant Editor Francesca Mancino Assistant Editor Madeline Kirkpatrick Assistant Editor Samrina Sangha Assistant Editor Layecha Fidahoussen Assistant Editor Nuriza Tukiran Assistant Editor Camila Ribeiro Perez Assistant Editor Suvi Pushpakanthan Assistant editor Aeron Kim Assistant Editor Kierra Morris Assistant Editor

Our articles focus on the intersection between mental health, science and society. We do this with the help of writers with lived experience and academics who have dedicated their lives to this research. Our Articles on: Read Now 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. Tony Woods Aug 14 6 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 Caroline Lackner Aug 12 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 Niamh Alford Jul 24 5 min read ‘Tis Season of Whimsy: But What Does This Really Mean to be Whimsical? It seems that my social media feed is full of the word ‘whimsy’ at the moment. Move over nonchalance, welcome whimsy. It’s being covered on Instagram and Tiktok. It’s being picked up by podcasters. But what is it really? According to the Cambridge English dictionary, the word whimsy refers to ‘unusual, funny, and pleasant ideas or qualities.’ It ties in well with imaginative, playful ideas that aren’t particularly serious or profound. Riddhi Laijawala May 13 4 min read Leonardo da Vinci: The Power of Creativity - Art & Science United On April 15, we celebrate the birthday and legacy of Leonardo da Vinci, a true Renaissance master whose boundless curiosity bridged art, science, and invention. With an extraordinary talent for observation, he redefined creativity, leaving a timeless imprint as both an artist and a scientist, inspiring generations to come. In his research projects he showed us that creativity is born from infinite curiosity, from observing the world closely, and from being a good friend of ti Diana Py Velloso Apr 15 5 min read World Bipolar Disorder Day: Van Gogh, Between Light and Storm Today, on International Bipolar Disorder Day, we celebrate not only awareness of the condition, but also the birthday and legacy of one of the most brilliant minds in art history: Vincent van Gogh. Public understanding of mental health has grown significantly in recent decades; however, during Van Gogh’s lifetime, emotional vulnerability was often silenced and left unsupported. Diana Py Velloso Mar 30 5 min read What is Timothée Chalamet Missing about Ballet and Opera? A recent comment actor Timothée Chalamet made about ballet and opera in a recent interview with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey for Variety has dominated the headlines in the past few weeks. The Oscar-nominated Hollywood star has faced a strong backlash in response to his presumptuous remark that people no longer care about these art-forms – unlike they do about cinema. Some even speculated this misstep cost him the Academy Award for Best Actor for his leading role in Marty Francesca Mancino Mar 24 5 min read What “Die, My Love” gets right, and wrong, about maternal mental health In an era where we are often bombarded with seemingly glamorous and smooth transitions into parenthood, the movie Die, my love shows viewers the other end of the spectrum. Based on the novel of the same name by Ariana Harwicz, Die, my love follows aspiring novelist Grace, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and her boyfriend Jackson, played by Robert Pattinson, as they leave their life in New York City for a small farmhouse in rural Montana. We first meet the couple while they are Maddy Kirkpatrick Feb 17 5 min read On Health Anxiety as an Artist Eight years ago, I went to a friend of mine in distress. I had a lump or a bump or a cough or a premonition. “I am dying,” I told her. I was certain of it. “Or are you just about to put an album out?” she asked. My name is Charlee, and for the better part of twelve years, I’ve been a willing participant in the love-hate relationship most artists have with the music industry. The music industry is a peculiar trigger in my life. Anytime I move forward, I backwards dance into Charlee Remitz Jan 23 6 min read Grieving Stranger Things is grieving my inner child It’s time to accept it, Stranger Things is finished. We have all become a little bit more adult since Episode 8, which aired on New Year’s Eve. Why is it so difficult to accept that it is over? This is not a rhetorical question. Thousands of fans online have, for weeks, argued that Episode 8 was not the end. According to the viral “Conformity Gate” theory, fans believed that there should have been a new episode coming out on January 7th. Carmine Pariante Jan 22 5 min read Learning to Listen: Sound as an Overlooked Dimension of Architecture Have you ever thought about sound in the spaces you love to spend time in? When we talk about what makes a place great, we usually focus on how it looks. We notice the lighting, the materials, the layout. We might even comment on how it smells or feels to the touch. But we rarely think about how a space sounds, even though sound shapes our experience the moment we walk through the door. Aeron Kim Jan 9 4 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 An inclusive and relevant pregnancy book is exactly what we need Pregnancy is expected to be a “one size fits all” phenomenon. Every stereotype of a pregnant person involves peeing on a stick, sharing the happy news with your partner, throwing up every morning, and having a straightforward delivery where you’re screaming out in pain until the miracle of life is pushed out of your body. Riddhi Laijawala Dec 18, 2025 3 min read Beyond the Glitter: What Does Emily in Paris Show Us About Expat Life? I have to admit it: I was sceptical when the Netflix show Emily in Paris first came out, which is why I didn’t give it a chance until earlier this year. Surprisingly, that wait proved worthwhile: I binge-watched all four seasons in just a few weeks, and now I’m counting down the days until Season 5 premieres on Netflix on December 18th. However, my enthusiasm is not widely shared, with many strongly dismissing the show for depicting an overly romanticised version of expat li Francesca Mancino Dec 2, 2025 5 min read Combining culture and cortisol – Is art good for our health? Writer’s note: This article has been co-written by Courtney Worrell and Tony Woods It has long been said that art is good for our health, but we didn’t know much about how or why. So, this summer, we set up shop in front of the likes of Van Gogh and Manet at the Courtauld Gallery in London to look at the science behind this relationship and explore how the body really responds to viewing art. Spoiler alert – what we found was very, very interesting. Vincent Van Gogh’s Sel Courtney Worrell Oct 28, 2025 5 min read Binge-Watching: How Our TV Habits Shape Our Brains and Mental Health Streaming services have dominated the television and film distribution space over the last decade. With its rise, streaming powerhouses like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ brought with them a novel release method: entire seasons aired on the same day, at the same time. Melisa Kose Aug 20, 2025 7 min read The Impact of Colonisation Shown Through Sinners As a movie enthusiast, I love a film with powerful themes, and the recently released horror film ‘Sinners’ doesn’t fall short. With all the talk around the movie, I went in blind and don’t regret it one bit. Suvi Pushpakanthan Jul 8, 2025 4 min read Are We Living 'The Handmaid’s Tale' in 2025? Being a woman in 2025 feels frightening. During a time when society should be moving forward towards greater equality and empowerment for... Samrina K Sangha Jun 5, 2025 4 min read What Squid Game Reveals About Power, Division, and Being Human We are not O or X. We are not built to stay still. Beliefs bend. Allegiances shift. When systems demand certainty, it’s our capacity for... Aeron Kim May 20, 2025 5 min read The Deep Symbolism of Children’s Movies and the Messages They Carry I must admit. I am someone in my mid-twenties, but I absolutely love animated movies. I recently went to see a movie called “The Wild... Riddhi Laijawala May 1, 2025 5 min read Supporting trauma survivors’ through art and science According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the majority of people who access mental health services have experienced trauma. Yet, trauma remains misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated. How then can we best support survivors who need holistic, relatable, consistent, and trauma-sensitive healthcare? Isaac Ouro-Gnao Apr 24, 2025 5 min read In Focus: How Photography Grounds Me Photography has always been more than just a hobby for me—it has allowed me to process emotions, navigate difficult moments, and connect... Isabella Fowden Mar 27, 2025 5 min read The Pain of Neglect: Women's Story of Disassociation Black and white image from Unsplash As a young woman, I often find myself wondering what my place is. Both in life, what aspirations... Pierrette Fortuna Mar 26, 2025 5 min read Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar Puts Sour Taste on Wellbeing Industry The new Netflix sensation, Apple Cider Vinegar, is inspired by a true story but is not an entirely accurate portrayal, with new... Courtney Worrell Mar 4, 2025 5 min read Arts & Crafts Help Homeless Survivors Express Their Inner Creativity Poor mental health is widespread within the homeless community, with homeless people being nearly twice as likely to experience a mental... Layecha Fidahoussen Jan 22, 2025 4 min read Beyond Prediction: Explaining Astrology's Potential Picture by Allision Saeng from Unsplash+ As a neuroscientist, I’ve spent my career advocating and advertising for evidence-based... Klaas Bahnsen Jan 8, 2025 5 min read The power of the stars: What the horoscope says about me. People have always been so fascinated by the stars , to the point where starts are tasked with determining our way of life or how the day... Daniela Giallanella Jan 7, 2025 4 min read Romanticising Christmas: The Holiday Magic And just like that… the holiday season approaches. Another year has gone, with its highs and lows, its lessons, and all its triumphs. As... Lea Schmid Dec 19, 2024 4 min read Before a Snowflake Falls: A Personal Encounter with Han Kang Han Kang © Photo: Paik Dahuim. Courtesy of Natur & Kultur. Distance between You and Me Every heart holds a quiet ode to someone—a figure... Jo UBO Dec 11, 2024 5 min read From Historical Trauma to Literature: The Universal Appeal of Han Kang The worldwide impact of Korean culture became particularly prominent with Parasite, the 2020 Academy Award-winning film that earned... Hami Lee Dec 10, 2024 4 min read 1 2 3 4

Inspire the Mind has the pleasure of working with established writers, who's columns and series are displayed in this section.  Columns and Series Inspire the Mind has the pleasure of working with established writers, who's columns and series are displayed in this section. Read Now Our Columns AMHDM - Adolescent Mental Health Read More 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 The Perinatal Journey Read More 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 Behind the Science Read More 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 Creativity and Balance Read More 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 Rachel Kelly's Column Read More 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 Hattie Gladwell Column Read More 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 Our Series Maternal Mental Health Read More 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 Fatherhood & Men's Mental Health Read More 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 Psych Stars Read More 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

Selected by The Royal College of Psychiatrists, Psych Star ambassadors are a group of final year medical students awarded for their particular interest and commitment to psychiatry. Read Now Who are the Psych Stars? Selected by The Royal College of Psychiatrists , Psych Star ambassadors are a group of final year medical students awarded for their particular interest and commitment to psychiatry. During the year-long scheme as Psych Stars , students are nurtured in their interest in psychiatry through the assignment of mentors, by gaining access to learning resources and events, and by becoming part of a network of like-minded students. We have decided to invite each of the Psych Stars to write a blog on how they envision the future of mental health by choosing an area in which they are passionate. We have decided to run the series as a celebration of these student’s success and to provide an outlook for each of the awardees to share their passion. 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

Our Short Stories: 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 Kanika Phillip Aug 28 6 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 Zara-Evana Mitchen Jul 31 15 min read The Swimmer — A Short Story When the swimmer pictures the lido in her mind, the summer sun is always shining, and the water looks blue and inviting. But it’s September now. Brown leaves are curling by the side of the pool, the evening sky is grey and overcast, and the water, when she jumps in, is cold. She closes her eyes, starts swimming, and waits. Donna Ferguson Jun 26 6 min read Wrong Side of the Bed - A Short Story The golden wash of sunrise bathed the bedroom in a soft, buttery glow that made the dust motes dance. Such a soft, buttery glow, in fact, that Rosie didn’t even squint as she roused from sleep, reaching out her arms in a feline stretch and shaking the dregs of slumber from her body. A lazy smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she rolled into her boyfriend’s side of the bed, breathing his scent from the pillow and settling comfortably back into the sheets to watch the s Eloise Jones May 29 11 min read Two Dozen Red Balloons - A Short Story My brother’s seventh birthday party was a responsibility that fell squarely on my shoulders that year. Mine and Faye-Marie’s. Mom had started a new job and she was desperate for help, so could Faye-Marie and I please take charge of the decorations and games, for twenty bucks each, while she provided the cake and Jell-O? She didn’t have to say please. Of course Faye-Marie and I would do it... for twenty bucks each. Emily Zarevich May 1 12 min read The Teacher and The Mother — A Short Story A typical workday brings many common thoughts and emotions for an adult. Sometimes, you’ll think ungenerous, intrusive thoughts about the people you interact with. Sometimes, random waves of anxiety will attack you when you’re just performing an everyday task. And you are always, always fatigued, by your professional work and by societal changes outside of your control. My Teacher is an ordinary adult just trying to get through the day. Emily Zarevich Feb 27 5 min read Day After Day — A Short Story Celine’s day was the same, come rain or shine. It helped that she never really knew what the weather was, but that was beside the point. As soon as she got her heart to stop palpitating after her alarm clock woke her up, she got up, brushed her hair, cleaned her teeth, got dressed nicely, just in case she met somebody new or got hit by a car, and then sat in her living room. She managed to ignore the postman’s knocking by keeping her curtains closed. Chloe Smith Jan 30 11 min read Who Art in Heaven – A Short Story Casey Mattocks doesn’t remember the last time that her hands were clean, but she remembers the first time she told someone that they were dirty. Inspire the Mind Nov 28, 2025 8 min read Tongue Tied — A Short Story Work karaoke was his idea of hell, to be honest, though Matt strung along for the free bar. He sipped his pint too swiftly as he propped up against a faux marble pillar, watching his colleagues mingle while an analytics guy in Digital massacred I’d Do Anything for Love by Meatloaf. Third beer, already. Gonna be p****d at this rate. Nice view, though. The company had gone large for the anniversary and hired out a Kensington hotel, rooftop venue, windows framing Harrods in the Patrick Cash Oct 31, 2025 12 min read The Quiet Room: A Short Story Author’s Note: My name is Dave Brennan, and I am a writer and mental health professional based in the United States. I live with my own... Dave Brennan Oct 3, 2025 6 min read 1 2 3 4

Inspire the Mind is an inclusive digital mental health magazine exploring the intersection between mental health, science, and society. Led by a dedicated team of clinicians, scientists, and researchers who are passionate about making mental health science accessible and engaging for everyone. Mental Health, Science and Society The digital magazine bringing together everything you've always wanted to know about the worlds of mental health, science, and society. Read Now Submit Pitch Our Partnership We are proud to partner with the Psychiatry Research Trust (PRT), a charity that funds research and education in mental health. Their support enables us to fund lived experience writers and strengthen our mission to improve public understanding of mental health and reduce stigma. 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 1 2 3 4 5 Our Vision Inspire the Mind brings a different perspective from other mental health magazines: viewpoints of clinicians , researchers , and others working within mental health . We want to complement people’s accounts by discussing the scientific evidence underpinning these personal experiences , while also sharing with our readers ongoing research and clinical work, discussion pieces, and the various links between culture and mental health. Ultimately we want to impact mental health literacy and reduce the stigma around mental health. About us Who are we? ITM is an inclusive digital magazine that focuses on the intersection between mental health, science and society. We do this with the help of our diverse group of writers with lived experience and academics who have dedicated their lives to research. Editorial Process Our in-depth editorial process allows for a collaborative approach between the writer and the editor. We maintain the author's unique writing style through the process, and review all articles before they are published. The publication is overseen by scientists and clinicians, ensuring that the information put out is not only of significant interest to the public, but also factually accurate. Breadth of Content We cover a wide breadth of topics ranging from lived experience, to science and research. Our writers discuss topics of public and personal interest, such as art and culture, as well as lifestyle and relationships. We explore these topics in the context of mental health, and their relation to one another. Our content is carefully chosen to align with current world trends and new scientific discoveries. Behind the Scenes ITM is all about the behind-the-scenes of scientific research in the field of mental health. We offer the unique opportunity to learn more, through our interviews with scientists and academics, about the studies that are making the headlines, the research they’ve dedicated their whole lives to, and the findings that might change the world of psychiatry and psychology as we know it. Newsletter Podcast Awards Partnerships Submit your pitch Ready to write your own article to publish in Inspire the Mind? Send us your article or short story pitches now. Submit Pitch

Read More What is Behind the Science Behind The Science is all about the behind-the-scenes of scientific research in the field of mental health. We’ll be interviewing scientists and academics about the studies that are making the headlines this week, the research they’ve dedicated their whole lives to, and the experiments that might change the world of psychiatry and psychology as we know it. 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 1 2 3 4 5

Read More Meet Natali Simmonds Natali Juste Simmonds is a fiction author , lecturer and creative brand consultant . Her fantasy trilogy The Path Keeper, Son of Secrets, and Children of Shadows (N J Simmonds) was shortlisted for the 2022 RNA Fantasy Award, she co-writes paranormal romance as Caedis Knight, and her debut, feminist thriller, Good Girls Die Last (Natali Simmonds) is out June 2023. As a busy mother who writes, paints and has spent twenty-five years working creatively with the world's leading brands, Natali is passionate about the arts and maintaining mental clarity and balance while creating. Born and raised a Londoner, she now divides her time between her homes in Spain and the Netherlands with her husband and two daughters. 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 1 2 3 4 5