New research has shown that after watching an educational children’s television programme, toddlers can learn to count to five and learn to read a simple map presented on the show.

Biting your nails or pulling at your hair has long been thought to be a sign of nervousness and anxiety.

I embarked on an experiment. I decided to quit my phone - cold turkey - for one week. I wanted to see if I really needed all that connectivity.

For many people hearing voices is synonymous with schizophrenia and severe mental illness. But is this always the case?

So you are about to do something outside your normal comfort zone and your brain says things like "what if my friends think I am stupid?" or "what will my family think?"

Just about everybody has one raging narcissist to deal with, sooner or later - on the job, in social situations or (God forbid) in the home. How did he get this way, we wonder?

When Bruce Fogle's 100-year-old mother decided she wanted to die, all he and his family could do was watch. He calls for a fuller debate on assisted dying.

A study found people who followed the diet were happier, less stressed and reported an improved quality of life compared to those who ate fewer Mediterranean foods.

The freedom of diving is no longer restricted to able-bodied people, writes Sarah Ell.

Music, dance, diet and exercise may be keys to slowing down dementia by up to five years, a New Zealand research group believes.

New research suggests extended joblessness could also dampen our personalities. And that can make it harder to find more work.

Is there a link between certain diets and pregnancy complications?

The Duchess of Cambridge has delivered a rare video address to highlight the importance of children's problems to prevent them getting worse in later life.

The condition is usually associated with women but a new study has found one in 10 new dads are affected by postnatal depression.

A proposed trial date for alleged Ashburton Work and Income double killer Russell John Tully has been set down for May this year.

I have never known grief, until now, at age 48. I've been spared almost all of life's horrors and most of its disappointments, and experienced more than my share of its joys. But now, I am anguished by watching the mind of someone I love turn inside out.

A patient who died after an incident at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital was left unresponsive for 12 hours before medical attention was sought, his family say.

Friends who post too many selfies can be annoying, but is something darker afoot?

A phobia of vomiting is surprisingly common. For Katie Grant, it led to a food obsession and near breakdown. She describes how she beat it

Over-the-counter sleeping aids and hay-fever treatments can increase the risk of Alzheimer's, a study says.

Most animal species in zoos are not endangered and are merely kept for public entertainment and zoo profit, writes Mandy Carter.

He might think he is being helpful as he holds your hand while you are in the throes of labour, but he could actually be making the pain far worse.

In my almost 40 years, I've only recently been able to talk about adoption honestly and openly. And it is incredibly difficult.

A reason that people show less empathy towards strangers than friends or acquaintances is the "social stress" we feel around someone we don't know.

It's time we all focused more on this most important organ, to improve both the quality and quantity of brain health across the lifespan.

Memory is more accurate when we close our eyes, according to new findings, which have implications for investigating crime.

A stress-blocking drug can be used as a "compassion pill" that increases empathy, the ability to feel another's pain.

A mechanism that protects the brain when animals hibernate could help scientists develop new treatments for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Being a parent presents some problems. Irrespective of what you want, your children are going to take actions or be exposed to things that you may not relish.