Working out how much sleep an autistic child really needs can feel impossible at times. One night they’re still wide awake when you’re desperate for bed, the next they’re sleeping in much later than they usually do - and you’re left feeling anxious, wondering what’s normal, what’s not, and whether you should seek...

As Movember returns this November, conversations about men’s mental health need to take centre stage. While moustaches may grab attention, the real goal is sparking dialogue around issues too often left in the dark, like how modern pastimes impact wellbeing. One of the biggest? Video gaming. For many men, gaming isn’t just a hobby, it&r...

Finding the right professional to support you through trauma recovery is an important step. In this video, Dr Andrea Pickering explains that it’s best to seek out someone trained in trauma-focused therapies, such as CBT, trauma-focused CBT, or EMDR, and ideally with experience supporting many patients through similar challenges. Checking a th...

A recent study found that bonuses in the workplace, while having the potential to boost productivity initially, can backfire - challenging a system many of us have seen as effective since childhood. So, when looking to achieve sustainable productivity, what do we know about the driving force of rewards, and what other options are there for motivati...

Mindfulness for children is about focusing a child's attention in a calm and curious manner to the here and now. As adults, you may envision yoga and/or meditation, but children's mindfulness is a little different. It might translate to watching a teddy move up and down on their stomach as they breathe, listening to the sound of a ticking clock, or...

When experiencing depression, daily routines can easily become disrupted, which can make symptoms harder to manage. In this video, Dr Andrea Pickering shares practical lifestyle strategies that can support recovery, starting with setting consistent routines around sleep and meals. Going to bed and waking up at regular times, as well as eating three...

Helping an autistic child to sleep through the night peacefully can be a real challenge. Many autistic children struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough rest for the day ahead - so you and your child are not alone. Sleep difficulties can stem from a range of factors - just as they can in any child - such as melatonin producti...

Use of AI in everyday life is growing, with recent figures showing that 34% of adults use a chatbot at least once each month. 19% of those surveyed stated that they use a chatbot for advice, with 12% believing that AI would make a good therapist. Building on our recent blog about AI’s use in management of ADHD and other such conditions, we wa...

While bipolar is most recognised in adults and diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood, with 1 in 150 adults having a diagnosis worldwide, signs can be present of bipolar disorder in children. Recognising these signs can be essential to accessing early intervention and professional support, with early diagnosis and management having the potential to ...

Stress is a normal response to daily pressures, such as deadlines or feeling under time constraints, and usually eases once the situation has passed. Anxiety, however, is different. In this video, Dr Andrea Pickering explains that anxiety activates the brain’s survival system, leading to muscle tension, a racing heart, and shallow breathing. ...

If you believe an ADHD assessment may be required for either yourself or close family member, it is first important to understand the forms the condition takes. This will include the ways to recognise signs and the pathways available in assessment and possible assistance. Many of these pathways will be different depending on age and geographical lo...

With October being Black History Month, we wanted to take the time to highlight the experiences of black individuals when seeking healthcare in the UK. While there have been improvements historically, it would be a disservice to not raise awareness of ongoing inequality in healthcare settings for black British people. The NHS has highlighted reduci...

Sleep anxiety in children is a common issue that many face at some stage, defined as stress or fear of going to sleep. It can occur at any age, whether it is a toddler who becomes more clingy around bedtime to avoid being put to bed or a teenager who finds it hard to get to sleep because of racing thoughts. Despite being common, it’s importan...

Living with anxiety can be really challenging and often needs some sort of help or intervention. However, taking medication isn’t for everyone, so it can be helpful to understand what other changes you can make in order to better support yourself if you are experiencing anxiety. In this video, Dr Andrea Pickering discusses how anxiety can be ...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can affect individuals both personally and professionally and presents unique challenges. When you have ADHD, it can feel like juggling a dozen thoughts at once. This leads to a struggle to focus and being distracted easily. Tasks that seem simple to others can become challenges. Impulsivity can often...

Postnatal depression (PND) affects many new parents and should be a consideration in care during pregnancy and beyond but, with mounting evidence that this experience can be more complex, serious, and under-recognised in new parents with ADHD, we must explore this condition further to better support those affected. While links between ADHD and ment...

CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. It’s an NHS service that helps children and young people up to the age of 18 who are experiencing emotional, behavioural, or mental health difficulties. If your child is struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, self-harm, or other mental health concerns, CAMHS may be able to prov...

Statistically, more males than females are diagnosed as autistic. Unfortunately, societal expectations of gender roles can heavily influence how behaviours are perceived and whether they are recognized as potentially autistic. Girls and women are more likely to internalize challenges they encounter and mask their differences in order to fit in, oft...

There isn't a single known cause of autism. However, research suggests that a combination of genetic and environmental factors may contribute to its development. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. ASD affects how people communicate, interact, and experience the world. While autism is often present from birth with noticeable characteristics d...

Talking about the impact of poor mental health, especially topics as emotionally charged as suicide, may never feel particularly comfortable or natural for many of us. But, with suicide being the leading cause of death in men under the age of 50 and an increasing threat to 15–24-year-olds, we cannot responsibly shy away from the conversation ...