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.

Since I was little girl I have felt there is some secret complicity about starting the day at first light that binds together a fraternity of early risers, writes Jill Shilling.

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?

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.

We increasingly fear things we have no reasonable cause to fear. While the number of clinically diagnosable agoraphobics hasn't increased, something that reeks of agoraphobia seems to be presenting itself all around us.

We tell 10 lies every week — but what’s the reasoning behind so many untruths, asks Olivia Goldhill.

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.

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.

I'm Lonnae O'Neal now, but I was Lonnae O'Neal Parker for more than two decades. The pain is for a body of work I produced as my three-named self.

At least four farmers have taken their lives since Fonterra cut its milk payout forecast for the coming season.

Bryony Gordon has always had a troubled relationship with alcohol - but can a hypnotherapist change the bad habits of a lifetime?

Parents who have patiently sat through countless music recitals and questioned their sanity at encouraging all those trumpet or violin lessons need do so no longer.

While it might feel like those extra minutes leave you more rested, morning snoozes can leave you feeling groggier and less alert. And late.

"I took some contrary pleasure from being a doctor who smoked," writes Max Pemberton. "Looking back, I realise I was in denial."