Mental health

The hole truth: my gender dysphoria and mysterious phobia

It was moment of realisation when my trypophobia and sexual identity were connected in therapy

A chance to grow: the women learning to garden in prison

The Glasshouse offers horticultural training to incarcerated women, nurturing a more hopeful future

Why wellies, worms and birdsong are vital to children’s mental health

Exposure to nature offers numerous benefits, but not every child has access to green spaces. The Zoological Society of London is campaigning for all schools to be able to offer outdoor learning experiences

‘Model trains are my meditation’

Model railways offer a ticket to a safe world – no wonder it's good for hobbyists' mental health

My Al-Anon sponsor turned on me

When a writer's sponsor adopted conspiracy theories, she had to make a hard decision

‘Skin hunger’ is a touchy subject

‘Skin hunger’ is a sensation felt from a lack of physical contact. But platonic touch is not an easy need to get met…

Want a happy life? Avoid medical tests

Private clinics offer to replace present happiness only with distant misery, says Melanie Reid

Game changers: men on the mentors who shaped them

From the business mentor who taught Richard Branson to lead with mischief, to the media mogul who saw potential in Gordan Ramsay – these are the role models six men still look up to

Gareth Southgate on the importance of male mentorship

A lack of positive male role models means too many young men are falling behind. How do we fix the problem?

Mushrooms, menopause and me

Psychedelics have been found to combat depression and anxiety. Can they expand the post-menopausal mind?

Eva Wiseman: ‘Can we be too aware of mental health?’

Are you aware of mental health? Yes? That’s good. We are all very aware of mental health. But now that we are, isn’t the bigger question: what are we doing about it?

Eva Wiseman: watching weight after Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers may have filed for bankruptcy after losing too many pounds, but don’t think diet culture has lost its grip – it’s simply rebranded itself for another generation

The sixth sense you didn’t know you had

In an age of negative news cycles and information overload, anxiety is just a click away. But an understanding of interoception, the sense that interprets bodily signals, can help us keep calm

Dermorexia: the ugly truth about our obsession with skincare

Skincare has replaced diet culture, but it’s just as harmful