All in the Mind

In presenting All in the Mind for 20 years, Claudia has explored the idea several times that depression is not just one thing, but more of an umbrella term and that different causes might need different solutions. For this special edition focussing on hard to treat depression, she finds out whether that more personalised approach to understanding depression is now filtering through to the treatmen...

Claudia Hammond chats to All in the Mind Awards judge, writer and former doctor Adam Kay. Adam shares his mental health first aid kit, the importance of saying thank you and why you should nominate someone for an Award. Plus, how do you judge another person’s emotions? New research suggests that children and adults use different information to reach a conclusion on how someone is feeling. And Clau...

Have you ever had a partner or friend suddenly stop all communication without any explanation? This week we're talking all about the psychology of ghosting. Is ghosting another person ever acceptable? And if we want to reject someone, how can we do it more kindly? And Claudia visits a unique canal boat project supporting people who have experienced psychosis, where she hears stories of recovery, c...

The All in the Mind Awards are back for 2027, and nominations are open now! Claudia Hammond hears from previous finalists on what the Awards mean to them – and Sir Stephen Fry sends in a special note on why the Awards are so important. Also, how can music make a difference to life with Parkinson’s disease? We investigate prompted by one of our listeners, and hear how even just imagining music coul...

Most of us have experienced difficult feelings like grief or stress or sadness – but are we too quick to label these feelings as a mental health problem? Clinical psychologist and author of You Are Not a Diagnosis Tanya Byron thinks we are – and we should also stop saying things like, “I’m traumatised”, “totally triggered” or “I’m so OCD”. So why does the language we use matter - and why does Tany...

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? A type A or a type B? Or maybe you don't care about the categories but you would like to be less shy or more organised? Claudia Hammond and her panel of experts discuss personality in front of a live audience at Cheltenham Science Festival. Professor Kathryn Paige Harden from the University of Texas at Austin discusses how much of our personality is down to ou...

Are ADHD-like symptoms during perimenopause just down to hormonal changes or could they actually be revealing undiagnosed ADHD? Brain fog can be a key symptom of both, which means it's not always easy to tell the difference, leaving women unsure. 'Scummy Mummies' podcaster Helen Thorn shares her experience, while Claudia Hammond unpicks the evidence with Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais. And Kerry explains...

With moves to fast-track research into psychedelics to treat serious mental health conditions in the US and a flurry of new scientific studies, we look at the issue here. How convincing is the evidence that drugs like psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can help with treatment-resistant depression - and after decades of research, are we on the cusp of seeing these treatments in t...

In this week’s programme, guest Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, talks to Claudia Hammond about whether people feel emotions about politics differently in the body to everyday emotions. Visiting the Institute for the Science of Early years & Youth lab, a child developmental psychology lab studying shared play between parents and children,...

Claudia Hammond explores intriguing early evidence that a ketogenic diet - high fat, low carbs - might help treat bipolar depression. We already know this diet can help with some kinds of epilepsy. But now, after a promising pilot study, the Wellcome trust is funding a £7.9 million trial to look at whether it could also help reduce depression in people living with bipolar disorder. Professor Danie...

How does reading shape our mind and spirit? Why do novels make us feel more human? In front of a live audience at the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, Claudia Hammond looks at the science of what reading does to the mind and explores the profound impact it can have on our lives and well-being. She is joined on stage by award-winning novelist and travel writer Joanna Kavenna; Dr Paula Byrne,...

What would you say is the difference between the mind and the brain? Claudia delves into this complex question after listener Paul got in touch to ask about Near Death Experiences. What can they tell us about the mind, the brain and who we are? Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and author of Being You tackles this profound topic. Studio gu...

Everyone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. But how does it feel to be trapped in a constant cycle of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours? This is the reality of life for many people with obsessive compulsive disorder, a common - but commonly misunderstood - mental health condition. So today we’re dedicating the programme to understanding OCD and how it’s treated. We’ll visi...

Claudia Hammond and guests offer insights into tackling knowledge theft and discourteous emails. Dr Emma Russell, occupational psychologist and reader in occupational and organisational psychology from the University of Sussex, has insights into perpetrators of disrespectful emails. And studio guest Dr Pete Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, tells Claudia about...

How can we feel ok in a world that isn’t? With multiple global crises going on at the same time, it can make many of us feel very uncertain and anxious. But why are we affected by events happening so far from home - and what can we do to help ourselves feel better in difficult times? Clinical psychologist Linda Blair and Channel 4 News international editor Lindsey Hilsum share their wisdom. And sh...

How well can you remember the details of your childhood? Sometimes, the memories are there, but a little hazy. But what if you could trick your brain into thinking you looked like your younger self again? Would that help you recall more childhood memories? A new study has tried exactly this, so Claudia Hammond meets Professor Jane Aspell to have a go at an illusion that makes you believe you have...

More than 32,000 asylum seekers are being housed in hotels in the UK, the latest figures show. There's been intense political debate in recent weeks focused on the cost – both financially for the government and for local communities. But what about the cost to the mental health of those living in the hotels? Today we’re going to hear from an asylum seeker who spent more than a year in a hotel in L...

It is now compulsory for schools across the UK to teach children about mental health and wellbeing. Whilst it might seem like classes for everyone on these topics might be helpful, a new study has found that in some cases, they may actually be worsening mental health problems. How could this be? Claudia Hammond is joined by Dr Lucy Foulkes to discuss the possible reasons why. Listener Paul got in...

This programme may contain information that you might find to be evidence-based and informative... Trigger warnings are everywhere. They’re used in the news, on social media and in academia to flag potentially distressing material so we can emotionally prepare ourselves or avoid it. But what if they actually make things worse? We interrogate a growing body of evidence that suggests they aren’t wor...

Autism tends to be viewed as a spectrum, but a new study published this month in Nature suggests that there are both genetic and behavioural differences between early and later diagnosed autism. So is autism still a spectrum, or should we be thinking of it as having multiple different subtypes? Claudia Hammond talks to Professor Uta Frith, who has pioneered autism research for decades, about what...

Many of us can empathise with that feeling of keeping stuff for years and years. We might keep treasured objects with real sentimental value, or we might have items for a long time - and yet we can't really explain why. For those of us who don’t like getting rid of our belongings, life can feel very full of stuff. But when does a tendency to hold on to things become more worrying? It can be diffic...

Just looking at the news can give the feeling that today’s world is more polarised than ever. And the stats show that in Britain, the majority of people believe that society is divided. How can we go about bridging this divide? Paul Dolan, professor of behavioural science at LSE, has written a book called Beliefism on exactly this. He chats to presenter Claudia Hammond about how we can learn to ge...

Would you ever share your most intimate, personal circumstances with an AI - and then use its advice in your day-to-day life? If the answer is yes, then you are not alone. Many people are turning to human-like AI chatbots for help with their mental health.  So we're going to spend the programme exploring the fascinating and growing phenomenon of AI therapists. We’ll find out how and why people are...

Many of us will experience mental health problems at some point in our lives – and it is often the help and support of those around us that can make all the difference to how we cope and recover. The BBC Radio 4 All in the Mind Awards recognises the unsung heroes who have helped make that difference. Claudia Hammond meets the finalists and announces the winners in the All in the Mind Awards ceremo...

Is curiosity good for us, or should we learn a lesson from what curiosity did to the cat? And why does curiosity drive some people to explore the ends of the earth and beyond, while others just really aren’t very curious at all? As a journalist and author, Claudia Hammond has turned curiosity into a profession. She invites a panel of people for whom curiosity is also at the centre of what they do...