263 episodes

The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.

All in the Mind BBC Radio 4

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.3 • 398 Ratings

The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.

    How nightmares link to real-life fears, and new research tackling post-cardiac arrest PTSD

    How nightmares link to real-life fears, and new research tackling post-cardiac arrest PTSD

    If you've been cured of a phobia, say of spiders, and finally made your peace with the hairy-legged beasties in real life - why might you then start having vivid nightmares about them?
    Following an email plea for an explanation of this mystery Claudia Hammond enlists Dr Lampros Perogamvros, a psychiatrist from the University of Geneva who’s done extensive research around dreams and nightmares, to help answer listener Lesley's query.
    Meanwhile a new study by researchers at the USA's Columbia University is looking into the benefits of treating post-cardiac arrest PTSD with mindfulness. Claudia speaks to research scientist Dr Maja Bergman about how she was motivated to start the project by her own experience of a sudden cardiac arrest, in her thirties. We also hear from survivors via the support group Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK, about their experiences and recoveries.
    Joining Claudia in the studio to discuss these stories and more is Dr Peter Olusoga, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University - who also has thoughts to share on new research into athletes shouting at umpires, and what affects our levels of impatience.
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Lucy Taylor
    Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 31 min
    The science behind screentime, the effect of live music, and can you imagine sounds in your head?

    The science behind screentime, the effect of live music, and can you imagine sounds in your head?

    These days we see a lot of negative stories related to screen time – how we’re addicted to our phones and social media is damaging our mental health. But is our panic about screens justified? Pete Etchells, professor of psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University, talks Claudia Hammond through the latest evidence in this field – and it turns out it’s all a lot more complicated than we think.
    Many of us will often get catchy tunes stuck in our head, or have an inner monologue narrating our experiences. But this isn’t the case for everyone – some people have what they describe as a silent inner world. This inability to hear sounds in your head has been named anauralia, which PhD student Sang Hyun Kim experiences, and he describes his inner life to Claudia. We also hear from Professor of Psychology Tony Lambert, who has been running studies into anauralia at the University of Auckland.
    And Claudia is joined in the studio by Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, who has also recently published a study on anauralia – and puts Claudia’s auditory imagery skills to the test. And Catherine also talks us through a new study on how live music can amplify emotional responses in the brain.
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Sophie Ormiston
    Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 27 min
    What's going on with girls' mental health?

    What's going on with girls' mental health?

    When it comes to mental health, what's going on with young people - particularly, teenage girls?
    There's been a lot of coverage in the media recently regarding mental health difficulties facing boys, not least around the struggle to get to grips with 'modern masculinity'; undoubtedly, it's a tough time to be a young man.
    But looking at figures for mental health problems in children and teens, there's clearly something going on with girls too. For some years now, research has shown that more girls are experiencing problems than boys, with a troubling spike in difficulties showing up in the late teens. In some years, twice as many girls as boys have what the research calls “probable mental health disorders” - with rates of eating disorders charting four times higher and rates of self-harm up to seven times higher in girls than in boys.
    All sorts of factors can affect those figures, from whether people are prepared to discuss how they feel, to how those feelings are labelled.
    But these don’t explain why statistics over recent years continue to show a disparity between boys and girls.
    On today's programme, Claudia explores the issue with help from a variety of guests, visiting King's College London's (KCL) Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience to speak to Gemma Knowles, a lecturer in epidemiology and youth mental health; Craig Morgan, professor of social epidemiology and co-director of ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health; and Valeria Mondelli, a clinical professor of psychoneuroimmunology - about their work with young people in the UK and beyond, trying to uncover the deeper causes and to find new solutions.
    She also hears from some of the young people involved in a major study into mental health, conducted by the team at KCL and spanning nearly a decade.
    Claudia is joined by Dr Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist, who brings her own professional experience to bear discussing the trends and challenges of youth mental health.
    Organisations offering information and support relating to mental health can be found at BBC Action Line: bbc.co.uk/actionline
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Lucy Taylor
    Studio Manager: Emma Harth
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 29 min
    Eating to improve memory, and a new play about mental health services

    Eating to improve memory, and a new play about mental health services

    Does what we eat have an impact on our mood and memory? And should we be thinking about brain health when we make diet choices? Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Ellen Smith from Northumbria University about the latest food supplement taking TikTok by storm; Lion's Mane mushrooms. We are used to foods being promoted for their physical health benefits, but this one is being claimed to reduce brain fog, improve memory and fend off Alzheimer's disease. Claudia asks what the science says and discusses with studio guest Dr Sarah King from the University of Sussex whether and what we should be eating to boost our cognition.
    And Claudia's off to see a new play; This Might Not Be It is currently on at the Bush Theatre, London. It tells the story of two administrators in an NHS mental health clinic and addresses the challenge of staying optimistic in a system that is struggling. Claudia is accompanied by mental health campaigner James Downs, and speaks to the writer of the play, Sophia Chetin-Leuner. Studio guest Sarah King discusses why drama is so powerful in helping us connect with people's stories.
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Lorna Stewart
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 27 min
    What Mastermind can tell us about blinking, how music shapes memory and why anger can be a useful emotion

    What Mastermind can tell us about blinking, how music shapes memory and why anger can be a useful emotion

    How stressed out do you get by TV quiz shows? And would that change if you were a contestant yourself? Cognitive researchers at the University of Arizona have studied back-episodes of Mastermind to find out how people react in high-stress situations - particularly how much they blink. Their findings offer insight into how blinking changes in stressful and mentally challenging situations – but also what it can tell us about cognitive processes. Claudia Hammond hears from BBC presenter and Celebrity Mastermind "Champion of Champions" 2019, Samira Ahmed, and speaks to Bob Wilson, associate professor in cognitive science and psychology at the University of Arizona, about the research.
    Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten what you came in for? Studies show that changing your physical location can "bookend" thoughts and shape how our memories compartmentalise information. Now a new study has been looking at whether shifts in our moods can do the same. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, used music to elicit specific emotions in subjects, so they could assess how changes in emotional states might affect how memories are formed. Claudia hears from assistant professor of psychology, David Clewett, one of the paper’s authors.
    And this week's studio guest Catherine Loveday, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains why anger can on occasion be a rather useful emotion.
    Organisations offering information and support relating to some of the issues covered in this series of All In The Mind can be found at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Lucy Taylor
    Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 28 min
    The impact of bad news, compassion fatigue, and the psychology of whistleblowing

    The impact of bad news, compassion fatigue, and the psychology of whistleblowing

    Increasing numbers of people are avoiding the news, and a recent update to Ipsos’s Global Trends 2023 report has found that the current state of the world is causing people to focus on their own lives, rather than broader, global problems. Mike Clemence, associate director of trends & futures at Ipsos, talks Claudia Hammond through the findings and the "polycrisis" we find ourselves in. Coverage of these crises can have a psychological impact, Roxane Cohen Silver, distinguished professor of psychological science, medicine, and public health at the University of California Irvine, tells Claudia how media exposure to traumatic events can cause acute symptoms of stress, and what we can do to protect ourselves.
    Whistleblowers do the important job of calling out wrongdoing in an organisation. So why are so many treated badly, even though they’ve done the right thing? And how can people be encouraged to raise concerns at work? Claudia speaks to Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School, about "psychological safety" – the belief that you won’t be punished for speaking up.
    And Claudia is joined in the studio by Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, to take us through some of the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology. We discuss whether compassion is a limited resource and if the emotional words we use can affect our heart health.
    Presenter: Claudia Hammond
    Producer: Sophie Ormiston
    Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
    Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
    Editor: Holly Squire

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5
398 Ratings

398 Ratings

Taos poetry ,

The role of spiritual development in mental health

I really like these All in the mind podcasts and find them very helpful to my self and my husband who have both suffered from anxiety and depression. However, I have noticed over time that there is a real predominance of the rational in your approaches and much less consideration of the aesthetic, creative and in particular, the spiritual. I would be really interested in a podcast which looked at the role of spiritual relationships in relation to good mental health. This has certainly helped me and I have found the work of Richard Rohr particularly helpful.

Patmartin ,

Do Lonely Brains See the World Differently Episode

Despite the title it was anything but. It was all about how scientific papers are reviewed and published.

Why the misleading episode title?

eyeontheball28 ,

Seek and You Will Find

Just stumbled upon this BBC Sounds programme. As a person who has suffered with clinical depression for most of my life and it's perpetuation by recent cancer, I need all the help I can to stop this drastic decline and Claudia's podcasts are a step in the right direction. The Clarke Carlisle episode 'from Salford'', is as therapeutic as it is educational. I've subscribed.

Top Podcasts In Health & Fitness

ZOE Science & Nutrition
ZOE
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
BBC Radio 4
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
iHeartPodcasts
Therapy Works
Julia Samuel

You Might Also Like

Inside Health
BBC Radio 4
Health Check
BBC World Service
Life Changing
BBC Radio 4
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
BBC Radio 4
Thinking Allowed
BBC Radio 4
Sliced Bread
BBC Radio 4

More by BBC

Newscast
BBC News
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
BBC Radio 4
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4
The Martin Lewis Podcast
BBC Radio 5 Live
Rugby Union Daily
BBC Radio 5 Live