Concerns at the difficulty of diagnosing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have been address, with new methods of identifying those at risk, reports The Times. There are calls for more research to be undertaken to monitor those in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women and young people leaving home, to ascertain triggers and and help prevent the read more »

New research from Oxford University has shown that smoking is costing the NHS five times more than previously anticipated, reports the BBC. The cost of treating illnesses and diseases caused by smoking is around £5 billion a year, whereas previous estimates put the figure at around £1.4 billion. One if five deaths are the result read more »

Many soldiers returning from duty in Afghanistan and Iraq may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder in silence, reports The Telegraph. A ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude may be preventing soldiers from admitting they have a problem, and talking about how they feel. Professor Alexander McFarlane, professor of psychiatry at the University of Adelaide and read more »

In a world of rolling news and constant information updates, scientists fear that it is causing extra stress on the brain, reports The Times. Two new studies have suggested that the constant flood of information may result in brains blocking the development of wisdom – traits such as empathy, tolerance, emotional stability and compassion, and read more »

Moving house more than three times can have a detrimental effect on children’s’ mental health, reports the Telegraph. A new study has shown that moving house, and therefore losing contact with friends and being taken away from familiar surroundings, may cause the child to feel they’re being ignored, and can result in suicidal feelings. The read more »

An article over at the Guardian website highlights how children can be affected by using social networking sites such as Facebook. Children see their profile on such sites as ‘advertising’ for themselves, aiming to get as many friends as possible, rather than a few close friends. The child’s self-esteem may be affected by comments from read more »