63 up

by Aly Sizer

This week ITV viewers have been catching up with a group of people who represent half a century of social change in England – the cast of the Up documentary series, which has followed these 14 people since 1964.

The mental health benefits of fruit and veg

by Neel Ocean and Peter Howley

It is well known that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for your physical health, but our latest research suggests that it might be good for your mental health too.

Taking a stand against bullying: Addressing mental health problems from within

by Louise Arseneault

Many people have childhood memories of being pushed around and being punched by other pupils when we felt you couldn’t retaliate. They may also remember being the topic of nasty rumours or being excluded by others. Unfortunately, being bullied is not an unusual experience, even today.

Similar to maltreatment, bullying involves abusive behaviours where it is more difficult for the victims to defend themselves. But in contrast to maltreatment, these abusive behaviours are perpetrated by others of the same age. The research I have been conducting for the past 15 years – alongside great collaborators – emphasises the importance of moving away from the common perception that bullying is a just an unavoidable part of growing up.

How tall are you? And what’s that in metric? Introducing CLOSER’S ‘harmonised’ dataset

by Rebecca Hardy

Society has never quite come to terms with the change from imperial to metric measurements, particularly when it comes to weight and height. Ask people how tall they are or how much they weigh and you’re likely to get an answer in feet and inches, or stones and pounds. Ask again what that is in metric and more often than not you’ll get a blank look.

Social science research can address the challenges mental health poses for our society

Louise Arseneault, Professor of Developmental Psychology at King’s College London, was appointed to the new role of ESRC Mental Health Leadership Fellow in autumn 2016.

Throughout the three year fellowship, Professor Arseneault will play a vital role in championing the role of the social sciences within mental health research.

This is an exciting time for people involved in mental health research. There hasn’t been such interest around the importance and relevance of mental health in society for a long time. And this is especially exciting for me as the ESRC Mental Health Leadership Fellow.