All in the Mind

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 insights into perpetrators of disrespectful emails. And studio guest Dr Pete Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, tells Claudia about new research into knowledge theft and how to make repairs if it happens.And Dr Madoka Kumashiro, from Goldsmiths, University of London, will discuss the Michaelangelo phenomenon – the idea that spending time with people who bring out the best in us helps to reveal our ideal inner self. And finally, Pete Olusoga has research on mind-blanking which is increasingly thought to be a distinct brain state, different to mind-wandering or sleep.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Lorna Stewart and Gerry Holt Studio Managers: Giles Aspen and Mary Stone Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Content Editor: Ilan Goodman

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 how the special bond between Lisa and Rose Betts really mattered when Lisa was going through a very tough time with her mental health.And the insight Lisa and Rose give us into their world got us thinking about the unique science of twins. What is it that fascinates us so much - and what can twins teach us about ourselves and the human experience?Claudia is joined in the studio by Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, and handily a twin himself, to dive headfirst into the evidence on twin relationships.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Gerry Holt (a twin) & Hannah Fisher Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Editor: Glyn Tansley Production coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth (has twins)If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support are available at BBC Action Line.

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 studio by professor of cognitive neuroscience Sophie Scott to understand how these 'aha' moments happen.Sophie also brings us her own research into contagious laughter and why some types of laughter are more likely to give us the giggles than others.And Claudia meets another All in the Mind Awards finalist. This time it's Flynn Mellor, nominated by his mum Janine for his unwavering care whilst she was unwell. Claudia visits the pair at home and hears from Janine how Flynn's support saved her life.The All in the Mind Awards ceremony takes place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June, and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows.If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Hannah Fisher and Gerry Holt Studio Manager: Emma Harth Editor: Glyn Tansley

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 Claudia is health psychologist Professor Kavita Vedhara who explains why watching 15 minutes of the Two Ronnies, some Fawlty Towers and a bit of Elvis Presley, could boost how well your vaccine works. And Claudia meets a group from Essex who are finalists in this year’s All in the Mind awards. The group teaches women who are experiencing anxiety, depression or abusive relationships how to ride a bike. We’ll hear how this simple community initiative is connecting people and even transforming lives, and why they just can’t stop smiling.The awards take place at the BBC Radio Theatre in London on 18 June and there is a ballot for free tickets which closes at midday on 31 May. You can enter online by going to www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Gerry Holt, Hannah Fisher and Helena Selby Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum Production Coordintator: Siobhan Maguire Content Editor: Glyn Tansley

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 four different services told BBC Verify that it would take them eight years to get to everyone on their waiting lists. Now the NHS in England is setting up a taskforce to look at ADHD diagnoses.In this special programme on Adult ADHD, Claudia Hammond and guests ask how did we get to this point, and what can be done to shorten the waiting lists and to make sure people get a timely diagnosis if they need one? Claudia's guests are: Robin Ince - stand-up comedian and science presenter who recently received his own diagnosis of ADHD as an adult; Dr Jessica Eccles - a psychiatrist who does assessments for ADHD and has ADHD herself; and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan - a neurologist who says we should be more careful about who receives a diagnosis.Producer: Lorna Stewart

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 next. Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we don't realise what a complicated - and essential - skill it is. Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity.Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present.And Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success - and what the rest of us can learn from that.Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our favourite future planning at this time of year - new year's resolutions.If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Maguire and Andrew Rhys Lewis

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 College London, and Fiona Hollings, expert by experience, who helped develop a new approach to treating eating disorders in people with autism. What are your strongest memories from your teenage years? For good and bad Dr Lucy Foulkes, from Oxford University, argues that our adolescence shapes us. She talks to Claudia about taking teenage love more seriously, having empathy for risk-taking teens, and how to look back on your adolescence more fondly.And Professor Daryl O’Connor, from the University of Leeds, discusses new research which shows that focussing on positive memories can help people who have previously been depressed feel happier. He and Claudia discuss how this might be useful if you feel your mood start to drop.Producer: Lorna Stewart Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Tim Heffer

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, paralysis, convulsions and changes in sensation, as well as pain, fatigue and memory difficulties.It’s caused by a problem with the system in the brain that connects us consciously into our bodies, leaving sufferers unable to access their bodies properly. Because it doesn’t show up on scans and tests it is often not diagnosed effectively, and patients can face difficulties accessing the help they need or even being believed that their symptoms are real.Claudia Hammond sits in on a consultation at the Maudsley Hospital between Emma, a new patient who is having exactly those problems, and Mark Edwards, Professor of Neurology and Interface Disorders at King’s College London. She also meets Callum Alexander, a recovered patient who now volunteers for the charity FND Hope. He was referred by Mark for specialist neurophysiotherapy with Glenn Nielsen at St George’s University Hospital, which had immediate results. Glenn tells us that FND can cause the brain to become excessively focused on actions are normally automatic, such as walking, and that redirecting the brain’s attention can be one way of alleviating it.Meanwhile, Emma is relieved she finally has a name to put to her condition and Mark is pushing for more positive diagnoses of FND.Back in the studio, Claudia is joined by Kavita Vedhara, Professor of Health Psychology at Cardiff University. With increasing polarisation in the US in the run up to the forthcoming presidential election, she presents a study that sheds light on how we might view people who are more nuanced in their approach to controversial topics.You might expect people who are able to express both sides of an argument to thrive in social situations. However, this new research suggests that people with nuanced views are seen as less likeable than those with polarised views, even by those who agree with that person’s ultimate position. How does that impact our chances of being able to have reasoned political debates?The 2025 All in the Mind Awards are now open for nominations. You can nominate individuals, professionals and groups who have helped you in your hardest times.Claudia catches up with ZeZe Sohawon who nominated her psychiatrist Dr Claire Purcell for an award in 2021. Since then ZeZe has set up a youth autism and mental health charity, Emotion Dysregulation and Autism, helping autistic young people who struggle with their emotions leading to mental health problems. The charity is about to start delivering a peer support programme in Birmingham hospitals, and she’s done all of this while studying for a Neuroscience degree. This year she’s a judge for the All in the Mind Awards and tells Claudia why she thinks people should take part.You can find out more about the awards in the programme or by going to bbc.co.uk/radio4/allinthemind where you’ll also find full terms. Entries close 8th January 2025 at 1pm.Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Ben Motley Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire