Behind the Headlines

Smaller paracetamol packs may have reduced deaths

Friday Feb 8 2013

The introduction of a limit on the number of tablets sold in packets of paracetamol has led to a 43% reduction in the number of poisoning deaths, The Independent accurately reports…

Being generous linked with lower death risk

Thursday Feb 7 2013

"Being generous can give you more than a warm glow... it protects health and helps you live longer," the Mail Online reports. The news is based on...

Antidepressant link to heart changes confirmed

Thursday Jan 31 2013

"Heart risk link to SSRI antidepressants confirmed," BBC News reports. The BBC goes on to say that "some but not all antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs pose a very small but serious heart risk"...

DIY depression therapy - self-help books 'effective'

Monday Jan 21 2013

'Prescribing self-help books on the NHS is an effective treatment for depression' BBC News reveals, after a UK study found that self-help manuals, based on cognitive behavioural therapy, helped tackle symptoms of depression…

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Eating your 5 A DAY 'could make you more optimistic'

Friday Jan 18 2013

'Another good reason to eat your greens: It makes you more optimistic about the future' is the cheerful news in the Daily Mail as a study finds a link between fruit and veg and optimism. But like the chicken and the egg, its unclear what came first…

Quitting smoking 'reduces anxiety levels'

Wednesday Jan 2 2013

'Smoking does not relieve stress – but quitting does,' the Daily Mail reports. The story is based on research that looked at whether giving up – or trying to give up – smoking...

Spirituality 'link' to mental illness

Wednesday Jan 2 2013

'Spiritual people are more likely to be mentally ill' is today’s claim in the Daily Mail. They report on research which found that people with a spiritual views, but without conventional religious beliefs, had an increased risk of mental health problems…

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Does marriage lower depression risk?

Monday Dec 17 2012

'Married women are less likely to suffer depression than cohabiters or singletons,' according to the Daily Mail. The claim is based on a large Canadian survey...

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If 'drugs don’t work' for depression, CBT may

Friday Dec 7 2012

'Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can reduce symptoms of depression in people who fail to respond to drug treatment' according to BBC News. The headlines are prompted by a new study looking at how depression responds to 'talking treatments'…

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Does a tomato a day keep depression away?

Wednesday Dec 5 2012

'Yet another good reason to tuck into that salad: Eating tomatoes could ward off depression' is the claim in the Daily Mail. It is based on a new study looking at whether there was an association between reported tomato consumption and depression…