Psychedelic Drugs – The Future of Therapy?

Written by Kayleigh Herbert


When I think about the sixties, a few things spring to mind: The Beatles, ‘flower power’, protests, and, of course, the summer of love with a multitude of hippies sauntering about with flowers in their hair, half-naked and looking pleasantly confused. Sunstroke, perhaps? Or could it have been the unprecedented rise in recreational LSD use that took the sixties by storm?    

Can Laughter Improve the Quality of Life in Cancer Patients?

Written by Rebecca Bowles

Has anyone close to you ever had cancer? You’re not alone if you’ve answered ‘yes’: cancer is the fastest growing disease worldwide (Popat et al., 2013). Whilst cancer is scary, it’s comforting to know that cancer patients are living longer than they used to (Allemani et al., 2018). However, they typically experience a lower quality of life than the rest of us (Jansen, 2010). Low quality of life is characterised by various secondary health problems, such as impaired cognitive function, pain, anxiety, and depression (Morisima et al., 2019). Therefore, the silver lining that cancer patients live longer is clouded by these symptoms. Keeping this in mind, you can understand the importance behind improving the quality of life in cancer patients, especially when the cancer patient is someone you care about.

Improving Well-Being Through Music

Written by Seren Mason

How do you feel when listening to music? Your favourite song starts to play and suddenly you’re in another world. Whether you enjoy listening to music on your own or going to gigs, engaging with music has power over our emotions and has the ability to completely change our mood. What’s more, recent psychological studies show that music may actually have a ‘healing power’ that can affect our well-being.

Stimulating Cranial Nerves to Treat Depression

Written by Hannah Siddiqi

Neurophysiology is the investigation of function in the central and peripheral nervous system and it’s a field that has seen a boom in recent decades, as advancements in technology and scientific understanding have further elucidated the function of various nerves within the human body. One such nerve, the vagus nerve, is one of twelve cranial nerves that branch out from the brain, and it is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. Its role in human functioning has been known for a while; it is responsible for the regulation of internal organ functions, such as digestion, heart rate, and respiratory rate, among others. However, what’s really interesting is that an innovative treatment that stimulates the vagus nerve has shown promising results in treating major depressive disorders (Hein et al., 2013; Rong et al., 2016).

Trialling a Novel Web-Based Therapy in Universities

Written by Harry Mansfield

Starting university is a stressful experience for many. It can mean leaving home for the first time, moving to a new city, adjusting to new surroundings, meeting new people, as well as a slew of new responsibilities. These are just some of the challenges students would typically face, let alone the unprecedented challenges students are being faced with in 2020 as they adjust to ‘blended’ learning and dramatically fewer social opportunities to ease them into their new environment. As such, it’s important that wellbeing services in universities offer effective methods to promote wellbeing, with many unsurprisingly looking at web-based therapy more seriously. One such therapy - web-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - was recently trialled with Australian undergraduate students in 2019 with promising results (Viskovich & Pakenham, 2018). 

Dementia: Using Music to Treat Apathy

Written by Elisa Byese

Apathy is considered to be one of the most common symptoms of dementia and occurs when a person has a loss of motivation / interest, both generally in their everyday life and with regards to being social with others. Naturally, this is heart-breaking for families trying to support their loved ones. However, what if something as simple as music could provide some help with this?

Magic Bullet or Myth: Antidepressants

Written by Niamh Williams

Antidepressants first emerged in the 1950’s and appeared to be a miracle drug for treating depression. Working on the basis that depression is the result of a chemical imbalance of serotonin and norepinephrine, antidepressants counteract this imbalance by raising the levels of these neurotransmitters, thereby treating the illness. In the same way penicillin had revolutionised medicine, antidepressants revolutionised the treatment of mood disorders.

Phantom Limb Phenomenon: An Inescapable Reality?

Is mirror therapy our best solution for this elusive condition?

Written by Narik Dubash

Phantom limb phenomenon occupies a relatively unique position in both physiology and psychology. It is thought to occur in as many as 90% of amputees, often manifesting in discomfort or pain. Recurrence of visceral sensations of an appendage that no longer exists seems like a paradox. After all, if the limb and accompanying nerves no longer exist, how can sensation recur? It is a phenomenon that is becoming more widely recognised, and yet advances in medical technology have done little to improve our understanding of its pathology, let alone how to treat such a condition. 

Psychedelics: A promising 'new' treatment?

Photo credit: Flickr user, Kooikkari

Written by Nicholas Cornish

Human interaction with magic mushrooms has been evidenced in Algerian cave paintings as far back as 7000-9000 BC, and Anthropologists have documented their use in religious rituals by the Aztec’s civilisation who called them ‘Teonanácatl’ or ‘Flesh of the Gods’.