Past Programs
Depression - 2005
Getting the Regional Blues - postnatal depression and the rural mum
05/11/2005
Nambucca Heads is a beautiful seaside town on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. But despite the tranquil environment, figures for postnatal depression in new mothers appear, at first glance, to be astronomical. Early research suggests half of new mothers suffer postnatal depression – five times the rate of their city sisters. The possible reasons for this includes the 15 per cent unemployment rate, poverty, limited medical help and a claustrophobic and watchful social environment. Liz Keen investigates the incidence, diagnosis and treatment of postnatal depression in Nambucca.
The Wings of a Butterfly - Children, Teenagers and Anxiety.
10/09/2005
The World Health Organisation estimates that by the year 2020 depression will be the world's second most prevalent illness. The whirlwind of changes experienced by teenagers make them particularly vulnerable to this. Right around Australia high schools are looking at how to teach resilience to adolescents, and thus the skills that enable kids to spring back from adversity. And what does new neurobiological research tell us about the impact of trauma on the developing brain?
Remember This! - Losing Control (Part 2 of 3)
13/08/2005
Losing grip on your memory is terrifying. The brutal memories that plague those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can revive the visceral emotions of traumas past. In part 2 of this series on the science of memory, BBC presenter Pam Rutherford explores why memory goes haywire during both PTSD and depression, and the important role emotions play in the machinations of your mind's memory vault.
NOTE: No podcast or Real Audio versions of this series are available online, because of BBC copyright. Instead you have the chance to download or listen online to an MP3 of a popular program from our audio archives: Psychedelics on the Mind
Irritable Male Syndrome? - Blokes, Hormones and Happiness
14/05/2005
You've heard of Grumpy Old Men. Perhaps you are one. Psychotherapist Jed Diamond thinks many men suffer from a little discussed problem, Irritable Male Syndrome. Ignoring it, he says, can result in depression, anger and even violence for both men and their loved ones. Testosterone could be just part of the story - not too much of it, but rather too little. Testosterone levels decline gradually in all men over 30, but do we really know what impact this has on behaviour? And, beyond hormones, do men experience depression differently to women? Join Natasha Mitchell in search of scientific insights into the complex debate over testosterone and male identity...
The Evolution of Depression - Does it Have a Role?
15/01/2005
Major and minor depression, even post partum depression - could they serve an important evolutionary function? Is depression a biological pathology or an adaptation, critical to our reproductive success and survival as a species? This week, Natasha Mitchell is joined by two evolutionary biologists who argue that our capacity to be depressed has evolved over millennia to help us respond to and cope with difficult social circumstances. It's a deeply controversial thesis that, they argue, could have implications for how we read and treat depression in a therapeutic setting. But critics are concerned about what these implications might be.
