All in the Mind
Psychology & Relationships
About
The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.
Episodes
- Overcoming OCD
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 disorde…
- Toxic work behaviours, mind blanking, and why spending time with friends makes you more yourself
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 insight…
- How to be OK in a world that isn’t
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 h…
- Navigating the Pacific without technology
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 ch…
- Asylum hotels and mental health
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 w…
- Are mental health classes in schools working?
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 actuall…
- Should we be using trigger warnings?
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 ca…
- Are there multiple subtypes of autism, and how vivid are your memories?
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…
- Why do we hoard?
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…
- What is beliefism, and can you spot a liar?
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,…
- The rise of AI therapy
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 the…
- All in the Mind Awards Ceremony
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 reco…
- The Psychology of Curiosity at Cheltenham Science Festival
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 journ…
- All About Twins
This week is all about twins. On today's programme we'll hear from a very special pair who are through to the final of the All in the Mind Awards, which celebrates those who have made a real difference to people’s mental health. We'll hear…
- Are you flourishing? And why a playful approach can help us cope
Do you feel like you’re flourishing? If you’ve not heard that term before, it’s not just about wellbeing, it’s about your whole life being good. Guest psychologist Dr Peter Olusoga joins Claudia in the studio to discuss the results of the…
- Aha moments and contagious laughter
What's going on in your brain when you experience an 'aha!' moment? Imagine you've been stuck on a problem for ages, but then the answer suddenly comes to you out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning. Claudia Hammond is joined in the studi…
- The state of mental health services and more All in the Mind Awards finalists
This week, we're taking a look at the state of mental health services in the UK. Claudia Hammond is joined in the studio by the BBC's social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan to dissect how long people are having to wait for care and…
- What is interoception, and how mood can affect how well your vaccine works
This week we’re talking about interoception. That's the way the brain interprets the many signals that come from the body. How useful is this skill, can you perfect it – and when might it have a more negative effect? In the studio with Cla…
- Is ‘are you ok?’ a good question and how your eyes give away memory precision
Are you ok? It’s a question that might be at the front of your mind during a traumatic event. But how helpful is it and can it even make matters worse? We answer a very intriguing listener question. And in the studio with Claudia is Cather…
- Adult ADHD: Why are waiting lists for diagnoses so long?
You’ve probably heard the term ADHD – or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – more and more in recent years. Almost 200,000 of you are waiting for a diagnosis and services are struggling to keep up with the demand. Last year twenty f…
- How to help someone who doesn’t want help, and well-being benefits of holidays
A new series of All in the Mind kicks off with the first of the finalists in the All in the Mind Awards. Seven hundred of you entered the awards and our judging panel had the tricky task of choosing just nine finalists. The first of those…
- Future Thinking
In the second of two special holiday episodes Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look to the future. A new year is upon us, a time when we often find ourselves reflecting on the year gone by and thinking about what comes…
- The Psychology of Nostalgia
In the first of two special holiday episodes, Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look back, nostalgically. At this festive time of year, you might be thinking wistfully about Christmas past – perhaps you’ll be rewatching…
- Should we take teens more seriously? And the link between eating disorders and autism
Could we be misunderstanding eating disorders for some patients? Research suggests that more than 30 percent of inpatients being treated for an eating disorder are also autistic. Claudia Hamond talks to Professor Kate Tchanturia from Kings…
- Mental health of military drone operators, conspiracy theories, the All in the Mind Awards
Members of the UK military piloting unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, operate from Lincolnshire - a long way from frontline battlefields in the Middle East. Via their drones' cameras, they can watch their enemy targets fo…
- FND - the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of; political polarisation; All in the Mind Awards judge ZeZe
Functional Neurological Disorder, or FND, is the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of. Some say it might be as common as MS or Parkinson’s and yet it’s not well known even by many medical professionals. It can cause seizures…
- Surfing and mental health, grief for dead celebrities, and being unique
Claudia Hammond has her surfboard and wetsuit at the ready to investigate whether surfing could improve her mental health. And she speaks to Ariane Gerami from the University of Bristol to find out whether the enthusiam for surfing to help…
- Joe Wicks launches the All in the Mind Awards, and why music makes us cry
Did someone amazing support you through mental health problems and would you like to recognise that support? Claudia Hammond launches the All in the Mind Awards where you can nominate individuals, professionals and groups who have helped y…
- Smartphones and children, mental health labels and climate anxiety
Smartphones are bad for the mental health of children and adolescents. At least, that’s the popular perception that has led to calls for smartphones to be banned for children under a certain age, with numerous media reports drumming home t…
- Toxic positivity
In the last two years, online searches for ‘toxic positivity’ have spiked. In this discussion from the Cheltenham Science Festival, we find out what toxic positivity is, and how it can hurt you and people around you. In front of a live aud…
- Tetris as therapy; internet addiction and teens; the psychology of secrets
You probably know the video game Tetris, perhaps you’ve even played it, but have you ever thought about it as therapy? Claudia Hammond talks to Professor Emily Holmes from Uppsala University, about her work using Tetris as a psychological…
- Languishing and the search for meaning in the modern world
If you’re feeling demotivated and aimless, but you’re not depressed, you might be languishing. But what exactly is languishing, and what can you do about it? Claudia Hammond talks to the sociologist Dr Corey Keyes, who coined the term. He…
- Grief, summer seasonal affective disorder, and anxiety in older people
In this episode, Claudia Hammond goes to the Chelsea Flower Show to speak to garden designer Katherine Holland. She credits gardening with helping to ease her grief following the death of her mother. Her Grief Kind garden features a meetin…
- Why is exercise good for your mental health?
As part of the BBC’s mental well-being season, All in the Mind takes a deep dive into the evidence on the relationship between exercise and mental health. Not just whether getting moving can make a difference, but why. Claudia Hammond lace…
- Dishonesty researcher accused of fraud; hypocrisy; suicide prevention; awe
First today, a story of alleged academic fraud. The allegations against Professor Francesca Gino might seem unremarkable at first sight. After all, we’ve covered allegations of fraud in psychology on All in the Mind before and the field ha…
- The psychology of hope
In this episode of All in the Mind, we’re at the 2024 Northern Ireland Science Festival where we’re discussing the psychology of hope. With a live audience in Belfast’s Metropolitan Arts Centre, Claudia Hammond is joined by a panel of expe…
- Seasonality, learning to hope, and the gender citation gap
Are you looking forward to the lighter evenings of summer? Perhaps you're already feeling different as the seasons change and the green shoots of spring arrive? This week on All in the Mind we're taking a look at how the seasons affect our…
- 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 mys…
- 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 scie…
- 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…
- 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 Ti…
- 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…
- 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.…
- Rowing the Atlantic in the name of science, psychologists tackling poverty, and the scent of fear makes us more observant.
Have you ever considered rowing across the Atlantic? How about making it even more challenging by doing it whilst wearing an ECG monitor and filling in psychological questionnaires? Claudia Hammond speaks to the first Austrian woman to row…
- ADHD medication shortage, life after being a carer and the benefits of keeping positive secrets
This Autumn, the UK has seen a shortage of life-altering medication for people living with ADHD. Many have found themselves completely out of pills and are now having to deal with symptoms which made life so tough prior to their diagnosis.…
- Belief in conspiracy theories, exercising before work, and living with OCD
It’s not hard to find headlines about conspiracy theories these days, and on social media, they appear everywhere. It would be easy to think that more people are falling victim to conspiracies than ever before, but is there any evidence th…
- New psychosis drug, why its hard to recall 2021, and counselling in later life
A new medication for psychosis is on the horizon. It's called KarXT and it could mean fewer side effects as well as finally some relief from difficulties with attention, concentration and memory - these are the symptoms patients often repo…
- Grieving when estranged, musical hallucinations and the benefits of snoozing your alarm
Losing a parent is extremely difficult, but for adult children who are estranged, this loss can create a mixture of grief, sadness, guilt or relief. Claudia Hammond talks to broadcaster and author, Professor Alice Roberts, about her experi…
- Increasing humility, suppressing negative thoughts and talking about mental health at work
Humility is a quality often associated with self-deprecation. But by championing our achievements while also acknowledging our weaknesses, we could see benefits in many areas of our lives – and even increase our attractiveness. Claudia Ham…
- All in the Mind Awards Ceremony
Last November All in the Mind listeners were asked to nominate the group, professional or individual who had made a positive impact on their mental health and the winners are announced in this programme. All in the Mind is produced in asso…