Talking sense: why a stiff upper lip can never be good for our mental health

Research suggesting that not going on about our emotions is a valid treatment for depression feels like a backwards step

I’ll never be able to achieve the perfect burpee or run a marathon, so why do I suddenly love going to the gym?

My body has mostly changed without my input. Now it hurts because of something I did, not just because I’m getting older

Having bipolar made my pregnancy ‘high risk’. But all mothers deserve an elevated level of care

Pregnancy comes with mental health risk for all women. And so many of us downplay our own needs and wants once a baby is on the scene

Women with poor mental health ‘have 50% higher risk of preterm birth’

Study of more than 2m pregnancies in England found link between severity of mental health difficulties and adverse outcomes at birth

The psychological immune system: four ways to bolster yours – and have a happier, calmer life

All of us will experience pain and stress, but the brain has some smart ways to protect us. Here is how to get prepared for periods of adversity

Alone by Daniel Schreiber review – me, myself and I

A moving insight into the joys and anguish of solitude – and the value of friendship

A moment that changed me: I was outraged by the risks facing my children – so we moved to the country

Black Caribbean people born in the UK have a higher chance of schizophrenia, and city life is a factor. So when a chance came to live in Somerset, I leapt at it

‘We have hope for some breakthroughs’: can we change the way we treat schizophrenia?

Scientists are cautiously optimistic that new approaches to treating the disabling condition may improve the lives of those affected by it

How early is too early to be discharged from hospital after giving birth?

A longer post-birth stay in the wards could help many mothers, even if research remains inconclusive

‘I’m a chef and I forgot how to bake a cake’: why trauma often leads to brain fog and amnesia

Shock, stress and grief can have a devastating effect on memory – but there are ways to bring it back

Is sleep the canary in the coalmine – a clue to the health of our minds?

Sleep disturbance is a recognised risk factor for developing a host of psychiatric disorders. Going to bed is the best thing you can do for your brain right now

Don’t fret, neurotics – there are advantages to worrying

Negative mental chatter and anxious fantasies may not be all bad – they could bring benefits such as greater creativity and better health

I couldn’t do chores or hold the baby – even the doctors were fed up with me: my life with chronic pain

What started as an ache in my arms got so bad I had to stop driving and could barely work. Three years on, I am one of 3 million people in the UK living with pain that never goes away

A moment that changed me: the missile alert promised sudden death. That awful hour taught me how to live

I had stopped being an active participant in my own life. Now I knew I had to shorten my list of regrets – and I began meeting the world with a resounding ‘yes’

The rise of perfectionism – and the harm it’s doing us all

Many of us believe striving for perfection leads to success. But perfectionism is counter-productive and can result in soaring levels of stress. The answer, believes Professor Thomas Curran, is to go a little easier on yourself