New Zealand’s youth suicide rate has dropped by a quarter – but suicides among the elderly are rising as old people are increasingly isolated from their families.

Deborah Hill Cone writes about living with depression and her hope that one day soon the tears will stop.

Merck & Co., the second-largest US drugmaker, has won approval to sell its treatment for insomnia that is viewed as a drug with fewer side effects than older pills such as Ambien.

The idea that people can be classified into types has a long history. Writing 23 centuries ago, the Greek philosopher Theophrastus sketched 30 characters that are instantly recognisable to this day.

The Mental Health Foundation has received an unprecedented number of calls following the death of comedian Robin Williams.

Robin Williams' cause of death has been confirmed by sheriff's officials this morning, as tributes continue to pour in for the actor, who had a special bond with NZ.

If survey data are to be trusted, there's a surprisingly weak relationship between money and happiness. As national incomes rise, happiness does not increase.

Humans seem to experience pain, whether acute or persistent, in a unique way. As a species, we have evolved from having very simple damage-sensing mechanisms to develop early warning systems.

The brains of premature babies can perform almost as well as those born at full-term by the time they're teenagers, depending on the environment the child grows up in, an Australian study shows.

Over the last half century, the global food industry has profoundly changed the way we eat. While we understand how these dietary changes have impacted physical health, their effect on mental well-being is only now being realised.

Women who use pain relief during childbirth may have a lower risk of depression after their babies are born, a leading psychiatrist has said.

Watching Alex McKinnon battle a devastating back injury contributed to Darius Boyd's battle with depression, Wayne Bennett says.

Auckland psychologist Grant Amos believes the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March proved more troubling to nervous passengers.

The tragic suicides last year of young Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys players Mosese Fotuaika and Alex Elisala rocked a lot of people in rugby league and prompted Spencer and Carmen Taplin to try do something about it.

Gardens in care homes could be crucial in helping to stimulate memories for dementia sufferers, scientists have found.

New Zealand has been described as a "lifestyle superpower", joining Australia as the envy of the western world, a political author says.

A recent study suggests that the positive impact of exercise on your personal life may extend to how well you function at work.

Chronic stress from poverty, neglect and physical abuse in early life may shrink the parts of a child's developing brain.

Kiwi families reveal their stories of living life with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Rachel Grunwell chats with a professor, psychologist, meditation coach and a sufferer about this inner turmoil.

A UK woman dubbed the "Angel of Woolwich" for confronting the killers of soldier Lee Rigby has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

Questions have been raised as to how a woman who threatened to harm her neighbour before later killing her was not formally admitted to a mental health facility earlier.

Having too much sleep in middle age could be as bad as not getting enough, British researchers say.