Mental health – articles and advice
Anxiety
Features on mental wellbeing, managing stress and living with mental health conditions. For trusted reference, see our Patient Information Leaflets on mental health.
Anxiety
Anxiety causes worry, panic, and restlessness. Learn about common triggers, how to manage symptoms, and the treatments that can help restore calm.
- Popcorn brain: what it is, why it happens, and how to reset your focus
- How to help your child with back-to-school anxiety
- Anxiety videos
- What is the link between IBS and anxiety?
- Why can the menopause trigger anxiety?
- How to manage social anxiety during Christmas gatherings
- Why video calls can leave you anxious and exhausted
- How to deal with test anxiety
- How to spot the symptoms of social anxiety
- Sunday scaries: How to beat Sunday night anxiety
- Can magnesium help with anxiety?
- Can ADHD cause anxiety and depression?
- Do beta blockers help with anxiety symptoms?
- How to get over gym anxiety
- Why do we feel anxious about calling in sick to work when we are genuinely unwell?
- What is toxic masculinity and how does it affect men?
- What's the link between anxiety and gut health?
- How to tackle poor body image in older women
- Skin-picking and hair-pulling: managing body-focused repetitive behaviours
- How to stop worrying about things you can't change
- What it's like to have muscle dysmorphic disorder
- How to deal with back to work anxiety
- What to do when the news is making you anxious
- How to stay body positive over Christmas
- How to spot the signs of anxiety in kids
- How to cope with anxiety after cancer
- The breathing techniques to try if you have anxiety
- How to cope with climate change anxiety
- How to deal with holiday anxiety
- Does hypnotherapy work for anxiety?
- Why your anxiety at night can feel so intense
- Dealing with depression and anxiety caused by adult acne
- How to deal with negative body image in the summer
- The link between anxiety and insomnia
- Can anxiety cause cancer?
- How to get help for hypochondria and health anxiety
- How to cope with anxiety during pregnancy
- Can anxiety cause depression?
- Relaxation exercises
Obsessive compulsion disorder
- Quiz: Do I have OCD?
- What it's really like to have OCD
- What you need to know about intrusive thoughts and OCD
- What it's like to have postnatal OCD
Panic attacks
- Am I having a panic attack or a heart attack?
- What to do if you have a panic attack in public
- Alcohol and anxiety: can booze trigger panic attacks?
- How to support someone through a panic attack
- What happens to your body during a panic attack?
Phobias and fears
- Facing your fear of the doctor: tips for easing medical anxiety
- How to overcome a fear of flying
- Thalassophobia: how to manage your fear of the ocean
- A fear of holes: what triggers trypophobia?
- Where does a fear of vaccines come from?
- What it's like to experience claustrophobia
- How to get over a fear of blood tests
- How to cope with a fear of childbirth
- Overcoming your fear of needles
- How to get over your fear of the dentist
Depression
Feeling persistently low or hopeless? Learn about the signs of depression, what causes it, and how talking therapies or medicines can help you feel better.
In this topic:DepressionGriefSeasonal affective disorders
- Daylight Savings Time: Why the clocks changing can affect our health
- How to cope with retirement depression
- Quiz: Am I depressed?
- How to support someone with depression
- Diapression: unravelling the link between diabetes and depression
- Re-sparkling - the science of finding more joy
- Why do I feel depressed in the New Year?
- What are the signs of depression in men?
- Can men experience postnatal depression?
- The reality of life after surviving a suicide attempt
- What should I do if I feel suicidal?
- Do supplements work for depression?
- What it's like to work for a suicide prevention helpline
- Are mental health problems in new mothers being missed?
- Eating dark chocolate may reduce odds of depression
- What to do if you get the urge to self-harm
- Alarming' rise in self-harm in young people
- Can exercise really help with depression?
- How to stave off depression in later life
- What is postmenopausal depression?
- Video: Why do people get depressed?
- Does breastfeeding prevent postnatal depression?
- How a chronic illness affects your mental health
- Are men or women less likely to get help for depression?
- Do holidays help or hinder depression?
- Is social media making us depressed?
- Spotting depression in your partner
Grief
- Preparing for the loss of a loved one: how to cope with anticipatory grief
- How to cope with the loss of a friend
- How to cope with New Year after losing a loved one
- Grief: how to cope with the finality of death
- How to deal with the death of a pet
- How can grief damage your self-esteem?
- Coping with grief after losing a loved one to lung cancer
- Managing grief during your first Christmas without a loved one
- Grief and young people: how to cope with loss
- How to cope with the physical symptoms of grief
- How to support someone bereaved by suicide
- How to talk to children about death
- Can exercise help with grief?
- How long is grief supposed to last?
Seasonal affective disorders
- UpdatedHow to boost your motivation levels during winter
- Winter wellness tips: how to cope with SAD
- How to combat winter depression and increase your serotonin
- Why do some people struggle with summer depression?
- Why do some people experience summer anxiety?
- Why does seasonal affective disorder (SAD) make us crave carbs?
- Can spring make depression worse?
- How to beat the end-of-summer blues
Eating disorders
Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia affect both body and mind. Learn about warning signs, the importance of early help, and how treatment works.
- How to gain weight after having an eating disorder
- Eating disorders in athletes: how can we tackle them?
- How common is binge eating disorder and how does it affect people?
- Debunking eating disorder myths and stereotypes
- How to manage pregnancy when you have an eating disorder
- What is the difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder?
- How do stereotypes prevent Black people from seeking help for eating disorders?
- What's the link between diabetes and eating disorders?
- You don't have to be underweight to have an eating disorder
- Anorexia may be a physical illness, as well as psychological
- How to help if your child has an eating disorder
- Video: What are the causes of anorexia?
- Meal plan tips for eating disorder recovery
- Connections between 'clean eating' and orthorexia
- What triggers eating disorders in men?
- How common are male eating disorders?
- Working with food when you have an eating disorder
- Do shrinking fashion sizes promote anorexia?
- How to help a friend with an eating disorder
- Why is anorexia on the rise?
Mental health medicines
Antidepressants are medications that treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other conditions by affecting brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine.
- What is serotonin syndrome and what causes it?
- How to switch antidepressants safely
- Should I switch antidepressants?
- Can antidepressants cause vivid dreams?
- How to avoid antidepressant withdrawal symptoms
- Will taking antidepressants really lead to weight gain?
- What is CBD oil and does it work?
- Why is there still stigma around antidepressants?
- When should you stop taking antidepressants?
Mental health therapy
Mental health therapy, also called talking therapies or psychological therapies, involves working with a trained professional to talk through thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to improve mental and emotional well-being.
- Could you benefit from music therapy?
- The Stranger Things effect: why nostalgia builds connection and improves our mood
- Art therapy: creative ways to boost your mental health
- Is ASMR the secret to sensory bliss?
- Unconventional healing: the rise of alternative therapies
- Pets as therapy: benefits for all ages
- How remote mental health services have helped the LGBTQ+ community
- CBT for insomnia: how does it work?
- Can you have therapy if you don't have a mental health problem?
- What is transactional analysis therapy?
- What is psychodynamic therapy?
- Can deaf people have therapy?
- How to decide between different types of therapy
- Why is therapy so exhausting?
- What is dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)?
- What to expect when your child starts talking therapy
- How to choose a therapist
- Why do so many of us struggle with meditation?
- Do mental health apps really work?
Mental wellbeing
Mental health matters just as much as physical health. Learn strategies to manage stress, improve resilience and take care of your emotional wellbeing.
- NewBuilding healthy boundaries for a fresh start to the new year
- NewHelping your child cope with stress and worry over Christmas
- Reframing loneliness during the Christmas holiday period
- How to improve your self-esteem and be kinder to yourself
- Building healthier habits with Holly Health
- What is 'good mental health'?
- How to be happy: 12 everyday tips
- 5 benefits of reading
- Is brain rot real - here's what brain health experts say
- How to talk to people about your mental health
- More than just entertainment: Jeanie Y. Chang on K-dramas and mental health
- New Year, New Me: Why reinventing yourself in 2025 might be bad for your mental health
- Body positivity: 7 daily habits for self-love and acceptance at any age
- When to take a mental health day at work - and how to talk to your boss
- What to do if you feel lonely
- Can hair transplants improve mental health?
- The best mindfulness apps, according to experts
- How to stop ‘mum guilt’ from impacting your mental health
- Does the moon really affect us?
- National Houseplant Week: Health benefits of biophilia and plants
- Why new year's resolutions fail - and what you can do about it
- Why a Christmas movie can make us feel good
- Why we should be making mental health New Year resolutions
- Why walking your dog can boost your mental health
- Is Christmas music good or bad for your mental health?
- Movember spotlight: black men's mental health
- 5 ways to look after your mental health this Christmas
- What are the mental health benefits of making your bed in the morning?
- Why you should take up a creative hobby this year
- How to improve your mental health while working from home
- How to look after your mental health during your menstrual cycle
- How has working from home affected our mental health?
- Is the term 'wellness' problematic?
- Why do we use dark humour as a coping mechanism?
- What mental health support is available to veterans?
- How gut bacteria affect mood, focus and brain health
- Why do we find it comforting to re-watch our favourite movies?
- Is crying good for you?
- What is the difference between mental health and mental illness?
- How peer support can help boost your mental health
- How to protect your mental health in the workplace as a Black woman
- Is the vagus nerve the key to our mental health?
- Mental health: keeping track of your symptoms and early interventions
- How to manage your mental health if you've been made redundant
- The impact of boredom on our health
- What you need to know about parenting with a mental health issue
- The link between gut health and happiness
- The mental health impact of skin conditions
- How does losing a lot of weight affect your mental health?
- What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at Christmas
- How to look after your mental health at university
- Young people who seek mental health support forced to cope on their own
- Can spending time in nature benefit your mental health?
- The health benefits of seawater
- How your teeth can affect your self-esteem
- Why going bald can seriously affect your mental health
- How to look after your mental health this winter
- Can football tackle mental health stigma?
- Breaking the stigma of mental health
Other mental health problems
Not every mental health issue fits a label. Explore less common conditions and understand how healthcare professionals can support you or a loved one.
- What is Swedish death cleaning and how can it benefit you?
- Building resilience: how to bounce back from life's challenges
- Emotional dysregulation: what it is and how to cope
- Could the energy crisis fuel a mental health emergency?
- Is maladaptive daydreaming a sign of mental illness?
- What's a permacrisis, and its impact on our mental health?
- How to stop procrastinating
- How does climate change affect mental health?
- What it's like living with schizophrenia
- Living with post-traumatic embitterment disorder
- How the pressure to breastfeed can impact mental health
- Can 'prescribed' laughter help people recover from trauma?
- How to overcome imposter syndrome
- How to support someone with psychosis
- What is post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED)?
- What's the link between mental health and heart disease?
- Air pollution linked to mental health problems
- Domestic abuse survivors more likely to develop serious mental illness
- Spotting the signs of a personality disorder
- Do you have an anger problem?
- How borderline personality disorder affects your life
- What it's like to experience psychosis
- Protecting your mental health during fertility treatment
- Video: What are the different types of mental health disorder?
Stress
Too much stress can affect your body and mood. Learn how to spot the signs, what causes it, and healthy ways to manage it.
In this topic:StressStress managementPost traumatic stress disorder
- Can stress cause heart attacks?
- Parental burnout: your guide to understanding and overcoming it
- Can stress cause vertigo?
- Transform your sleep: a guide to overcoming stress dreams
- What are the symptoms of burnout?
- Why 'Christmas creep' stresses us out
- How to cope with the stress of being a new parent
- What are the signs of a midlife crisis?
- Why are UK students the most stressed over studying maths?
- The warning signs of stress
- Is your job putting your health at risk?
- Does stress cause weight gain?
- Does stress make skin problems worse?
- Why your long commute is bad for your health
- How money worries can affect your health
- What working overtime is really doing to your health
- The worst foods to eat when you're feeling stressed
- Signs your job is making you sick
- The surprising ways stress can affect your body
- Video: Can stress cause a miscarriage?
Stress management
- How to avoid stress over Christmas and the New Year
- Which foods can reduce your stress and anxiety?
- How to practise self-care
- Could keeping a journal help your mental health?
- Stress-relieving tips to try every day
- Redefining work-life balance: what is the Quiet Quitting movement?
- Can rage rooms help you de-stress?
- How to deal with stress through exercise
- Exam time: stress-relieving toys and gadgets
- Why self-care for men is so important
- Can hugging be good for your health?
- 9 tips to enjoy yourself and budget well this Christmas
- How to say no to a Christmas invite
- Can watching horror films reduce stress?
- How to help your child cope with exam stress
- How to be a calm parent when you're stressed
- 5 healthy ways to handle money problems in your relationship
- When can procrastinating be healthy?
- How to manage stress when living with cardiomyopathy
- Can regular massages improve your mental health?
- Can exercise help you feel less stressed?
- Playing with cats and dogs reduces stress levels
- Can playing video games help your mental health?
- How students and teachers can beat exam stress
Post traumatic stress disorder
- Managing PTSD during fireworks season
- What therapies can treat PTSD?
- Can shaking exercises improve stress and PTSD?
- Things people with PTSD wish you knew