At any one time, a sixth of the population in England aged 16 to 64 have a mental health problem, according to statistics body NHS Digital.

Whether it is family or friends, neighbours or work colleagues, the chances are we all know someone who is affected.

And bearing in mind the figure leaves out less common conditions and is a snapshot in time, you could easily argue it is even more prevalent than that. Indeed many do.

With Prime Minister Theresa May expected to announce plans to improve care next week, these 10 charts show the extent of the challenge. Continue reading.

Originally posted on BBC News/Health.

Considering its origin story, it’s not so surprising that hypnosis and serious medical science have often seemed at odds. The man typically credited with creating hypnosis, albeit in a rather primitive form, is Franz Mesmer, a doctor in 18th-century Vienna.

Mesmer developed a general theory of disease he called “animal magnetism,” which held that every living thing carries within it an internal magnetic force, in liquid form. Illness arises when this fluid becomes blocked, and can be cured if it can be coaxed to flow again, or so Mesmer’s thinking went. To get that fluid flowing, as science journalist Jo Marchant describes in her recent book, Cure, Mesmer “simply waved his hands to direct it through his patients’ bodies” — the origin of those melodramatic hand motions that stage hypnotists use today.” Continue reading.

Originally posted on The Vindicated.

Researchers say the brain doesn’t just change in youth and older age. Their study may have implications in mental health treatments.

Researchers can now accurately estimate your age by looking at an image of your brain.

That’s according to a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

By analyzing brain scans of healthy adult volunteers, scientists in China found that significant changes occur in the brain from early to middle adulthood.

This research contradicts the long-held theory that the brain structure remains relatively stable during this period.

While most neuroscientific research has focused on the rapid changes in the brain that occur in early and later life, this study concludes that our brains continue to change throughout our lifespans. Continue reading.

Originally posted on Healthline.com.