Topic description and stories

Cambridge researchers are advancing understanding of mental illness and wellbeing – and putting this into practice.

Teenager sitting near graffiti

Problems with ‘pruning’ brain connections linked to adolescent mental health disorders

24 Apr 2023

Problems with the brain’s ability to ‘prune’ itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during...

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Angry boy on stairs

Harsh discipline increases risk of children developing lasting mental health problems

31 Mar 2023

Parents who frequently exercise harsh discipline with young children are putting them at significantly greater risk of developing lasting mental...

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Humanoid QT robot and toy-like Misty robot

Robots can help improve mental wellbeing at work – as long as they look right

15 Mar 2023

Robots can be useful as mental wellbeing coaches in the workplace – but perception of their effectiveness depends in large part on what the robot...

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Would you prefer a four-day working week?

21 Feb 2023

Working a four-day week boosts employee wellbeing while preserving productivity, according to research on a major six-month trial in the UK.

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Person using an espresso machine

Hospitality and real estate sectors have highest rates of common mental health problems

14 Feb 2023

Mental health problems such as depression are most common in the hospitality and real estate sectors, but – at least prior to the COVID-19 pandemic...

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Taking care of mental health

09 Feb 2023

Psychiatrist, Professor of Neurotechnology and 'Enterprising Mind', Sabine Bahn has founded two companies both with the aim of helping people with...

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Childhood mental health problems resulting from early-life adversity drive poorer cognitive performance in adolescence, study suggests

08 Feb 2023

Early-life adversity has long-term effects on children’s mental health, which in turn affects cognitive functioning as teenagers, say researchers...

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Man looking out of window

Scientists explain emotional ‘blunting’ caused by common antidepressants

23 Jan 2023

Scientists have worked out why common anti-depressants cause around a half of users to feel emotionally ‘blunted’. In a study published today, they...

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Boy taking part in a virtual lesson

Lack of computer access linked to poorer mental health in young people during COVID-19 pandemic

14 Nov 2022

Cambridge researchers have highlighted how lack of access to a computer was linked to poorer mental health among young people and adolescents during...

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Police officers in the UK

UK policing: psychological damage among officers heightened by bad working conditions

19 Oct 2022

Nationwide study of over 12,000 officers suggests rates of trauma-induced disorder Complex PTSD are exacerbated by factors such as too little time...

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Robot shaking hands with Dr Micol Spitale

Robots can be used to assess children’s mental wellbeing, study suggests

01 Sep 2022

Robots can be better at detecting mental wellbeing issues in children than parent-reported or self-reported testing, a new study suggests.

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Toddler's hands touching tree bark

Children with rare genetic disorders more likely to be diagnosed with developmental, behavioural and mental health problems

03 Aug 2022

A major study of children with intellectual disabilities has highlighted the additional challenges that they often face, including a much-increased...

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