Fascinating and important research showing that data from national surveys carried out from 1981 to 2007 indicates that happiness rose in 45 of the 52 countries for which substantial time-series data are available. It seems that increasing economic development and, importantly too, increasing social tolerance and democratization have led to people perceiving they have more free choice and this, in turn, has contributed to higher happiness levels.

This 10 year prospective study of over 3,000 individuals suggests that agoraphobia is best viewed as a clinically significant phobic condition independent of panic disorder. The majority of agoraphobia sufferers in this study never experienced panic.

Interesting article suggesting that lifestyle improvement improves cancer outcomes, at least in part, by changing gene expression.

In this prospective study of 749 Italians aged over 65, who were cognitively fine at the start of the study, exercise reduced the chance of developing vascular but not Alzheimer's dementia at approximately 4 year follow-up.

This 20 year study of nearly 130,000 men and women suggests that coffee consumption may be linked with some reduction in overall mortality probably via reduced cardiovascular disease deaths. It seems likely that this effect is independent of the coffee's caffeine content.

Cognitive behavioural training seemed to help medical students cope with stress better and be for helpful interpersonally when assessed dealing with complex cases and compared with a control group of students who did not receive the CBT training.

A randomized controlled trial of working with farm animals for people suffering from a variety of psychiatric disorders. Interesting and quite helpful. The full text of this article is freely accessible.

Since autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are generally considered children's illnesses, adults with ASD may go undiagnosed. Moreover, the separation of child and adult psychiatry may make it hard for adults with ASD to find care ... So how does one recognize them? Talent in computer or engineering work is often a hallmark of adult ASD ... although certainly not all adults with an ASD have such talent. Other common characteristics of adults with ASD, he pointed out, are being unsociable, extremely rigid, given to angry outbursts, and being acutely sensitive to light, heat, and pain. Follow the URL http://tinyurl.com/5ywblm for freely viewable full text of this report.

This is a helpful, careful discussion about treatment of bipolar depression (especially pharmacological treatment). Well worth following the URL to access the freely viewable full text - http://tinyurl.com/3kbky5

Useful overview of the differences and overlap between hoarding and OCD. Follow http://tinyurl.com/4rrdsp for the full text.