19th May 2014
When a parent has a brain injury or a neurological condition it can impact on their physical, emotional and cognitive functioning and can cause extensive implications across every area of family life. This is difficult for the children who may not really understand why their parent has changed and may have to cope with a More…
14th May 2014
BBC Radio 4: Inside Health. Caring for the Dying The Inside Health, BBC Radio 4 programme discuss the highly debated issue around how to best care for the dying. Please use the link above to listen to the programme. Caring for the dying is an important consideration for hospitals. Over 30% of people in hospital More…
17th March 2014
Recently, The Observer has criticised the high number of patients who are not able to be treated by the NHS for mental health problems. The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is the NHS service which offers ‘talking therapies’ for people who are suffering from psychological distress. Despite the extra funding which has been allocated More…
13th March 2014
The objectivity and validity of media coverage regarding mindfulness approaches continues to be highly variable. Whilst confusing and misleading ideas and evidence for the potential usefulenss of this approach are common, an article in the ‘Observer’ on 23 February 2014 provides a more careful (and mindful?) review of the current status of claims regarding its More…
4th February 2014
CBT is an established intervention which NICE guidelines recommend for mild, moderate and severe depression. Counselling, on the other hand, is only advised when other forms of treatment have been declined and even then, professionals are urged to discuss the uncertainty of its effectiveness, with the client. However, a study by King and his colleagues More…
8th January 2014
Self-help books: Are they helpful or should they just be left on the shelf? With the new year comes many resolutions, with people hoping to steer their lives in different directions, make better decisions and feel happier. Traditionally it is this time of year which brings about a rise in self-help books. An article by More…
20th December 2013
A study recently published by Verma and her team used diffuser tension imaging (DTI) to investigate brain connectivity. They concluded that distinct gender differences existed in the human brain structure; male brains facilitate connections between perception and coordinated action yet female brains are connected between analytical and intuitive processing modes. Verma et al (2013) Sex More…
5th December 2013
The period of time prior and immediately after birth is predominately viewed as a physical event for pregnant women with poor consideration of the emotional and psychological impact; yet as with other traumatic life changes the risk of mental health around this time is high. Women often feel that they should instinctively be able to More…
27th November 2013
Over recent years the US courts have seen a huge increase in neurological evidence being used to reduced sentences or clear people of all culpability. Typically lawyers will draw upon brain scans or neuropsychological tests in an effort to demonstrate that the defendant was not fully responsible for their criminal actions i.e. ‘their brain made More…
15th November 2013
The guardian recently reported how most people do not want to be given life sustaining or life-saving care when they are nearing the end of their life. People commonly assume that their families will be able to ensure that their wishes are carried out by medical staff. However, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 affects how More…