All In The Mind

From the prohibition era in the US, to gun control in Australia, bans have been used throughout history to change behaviour.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Sometimes, they lead to a whole lot of unintended consequences. With the social media ban for under-16’s taking effect this week, we uncover the three factors that can determine whether a ban is more likely to succeed or fail – and find out what the history of bans tells us about how effective this policy might be (or not). Plus – how solid is the research on the link between mental ill health and social media use? You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Guests: Dr Alexis Whitton Associate Professor and psychologist The Black Dog Institute and University of New South Wales Dr Kate Harrison Brennan Professor of Practice and Academic Director of the Sydney Policy Lab Honorary Associate at the Sydney Law School University of Sydney Seb, Eva, Ciara, Lily With additional thanks to Associate Professor Susanne Schweizer, from the University of New South Wales. Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Micky Grossman A big thank you to everyone who sent us emails and voice memos with their thoughts on the social media ban. We couldn't include everyone but we appreciate getting to hear your perspectives. Thanks to freesound.org users TRP and davidbain More information: Support for under-16 social media ban soars to 77% among Australians Illegal tobacco is a deadly $10 billion industry wiping out legitimate businesses Smoking rates continue to decline while vaping triples, national household drug survey shows Psychological reactance to system-level policies before and after their implementation The presence of laws and mandates is associated with increased social norm enforcement Youth mental health enters 'dangerous phase' Social psychologist and author of best-selling book The Anxious Generation Jonathan Haidt talks to News Breakfast about Australia's world-first under 16 social media ban — ABC Lifestyle eSafety appoints Stanford University-led academic advisory group to assess the impacts of the Social Media Minimum Age obligation Digital mental health, Black Dog Institute

The ABC's biggest investigative true crime podcast Unravel has just dropped their new season, Huntsman, and it's already rocketing up the podcast charts. You might remember when former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was convicted of murder in the High Country. The story made headlines when Lynn admitted to burning the campers' bodies to cover his tracks. But behind the scenes, people who knew him years ago began talking and sending messages. It sparked an ABC investigation that uncovered the full story of his dark past and his abusive relationship with his first wife, Lisa Lynn, which ended in tragedy. In this new season, investigative reporter Rachael Brown uncovers the details of Greg Lynn's former life and the fear and damage he left behind him in the suburbs. You can find the podcast on ABC listen, or search for Unravel: Huntsman wherever you get your podcasts.

When bad things happen, do you berate yourself or treat yourself with compassion? Do you journal, meditate, or listen to music? Growing up, Sabrina McKenzie always turned to music to help her through her worst moments. As she got older and began studying psychology, she realised what she felt when she listened to sad or angry songs ... was self-compassion. In the field of positive psychology there’s plenty of research on how journalling and meditation can cultivate self-compassion (and plenty of research suggesting self-compassionate people are more mentally and physically healthy). But Sabrina was shocked to learn there was no research on whether music could cultivate self-compassion. She decided to change that. Today: the songs that saved Sabrina, and the novel research looking for a link between music and self-compassion.  This episode touches on the topic of sexual abuse, please take care while listening. Guest: Sabrina McKenzie Associate Lecturer in music PhD candidate in music psychology University of Melbourne, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Roi Huberman You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Music to listen to: Why Trust You - Alice Cooper Now I Can Dance - Tina Arena This Is Me (Official Audio) — The Greatest Showman Cast "Saying Goodbye" — Ondara More information: Self-compassion as a predictor of interleukin-6 response to acute psychosocial stress A Systematic Review on Mediation Studies of Self-Compassion and Physical Health Outcomes in Non-Clinical Adult Populations Exploring the role of music listening in cultivating self-compassion Support: Lifeline 13 11 14

We've come a long way in how we talk about mental health. But while diagnoses like depression and anxiety can empower people to seek help and support — they also influence how we see ourselves and how others might see us, too. Today, we investigate 'concept creep.' It's the idea that the labels we use to describe mental health are expanding and being applied to an ever-wider array of human behaviours. We look at what's causing this, the impacts it might have (both positive and negative), and what it means for how we understand mental health conditions. This episode first aired in November 2024. Guest: Professor Nick Haslam Professor of Psychology, University of Melbourne Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Producer: Rose Kerr Senior producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. More information: Concept creep: Psychology's expanding concepts of harm and pathology

You've probably experienced intrusive thoughts — bizarre, fleeting, sometimes inappropriate thoughts that cross your mind without warning. Although these can be weird to experience, they're totally normal. But for people with obsessive compulsive disorder these thoughts can become inescapable — leading to worry, compulsions and shame. Today we're talking about OCD, because it's often quite different from the stereotype of handwashing and lining up pencils. It can venture into taboo and dangerous thoughts, from paedophilia to violent harm.  So what does living with these unwanted thoughts feel like? And how much can treatment improve OCD symptoms? This episode covers some heavy topics from sexual abuse to suicide. There are also a few swear words. Please take care while listening. Guests: Uma Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS Neuroscience PhD student, University of Wisconsin-Madison Science communicator Mental health advocate Martin Ingle Writer and filmmaker Professor Vlasios Brakoulias Psychiatrist Sydney Medical School, Westmead Hospital Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Producer: Rose Kerr Senior Producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Timothy Jenkins You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Support: Lifeline 13 11 14 SANE Australia ARCVic Helpline 1300 269 438 More information: You Can't Ask That - OCD episode