An American man who was paralysed in a swimming accident has become the first patient to move his hand using the power of thought after doctors inserted a microchip into his brain.

Genes associated with schizophrenia may also make people more likely to use cannabis, a new study has shown.

Burnout is an extremely overused word. It's not uncommon for people who feel they're a bit stressed to use that word to exaggerate what they're feeling.

We all worry about our health from time to time, at least to some degree, but some people worry excessively about catastrophic consequences of seemingly benign symptoms.

People do odd - inexplicable, even - things with their money. Sometimes it's because of mental health problems - diagnosed or otherwise, writes Diana Clement.

Stroke victims could make a quicker journey on the road to recovery if they take up a musical instrument, researchers claim.

Gambling products are only harmful when people consume too much of them. Gambling is like alcohol: occasional use is generally safe, this expert explains.

An ageing population has contributed to the rise in the number of disabled people in New Zealand, which last year rose to over one million - almost a quarter of the population.

For many of us, the thought of being alone can trigger an anxious response - even from when we do not normally feel anxiety, writes Jill Goldson.

It seems that no matter what your size, you can come under fire - as a new Instagram trend dubbed "thin shaming" proves.

Elle Macpherson is telling an audience of women at Selfridges, London, what it feels like to struggle with a muffin top, fatigue and finding herself so irritable she shouted at the kids.

It is well known that stress can cause a stomach ache, but the relationship works both ways, says a pediatrician.

There may be a perception that cannabis is benign, writes Dr Dale Bramley. But staff running mental health, addiction and emergency services can tell you beyond doubt that it's otherwise.

Before you declare your allegiance to the caffeinated culture, here's a quick update about the drug our society chooses to celebrate.

Sloth, torpor, idleness. Forget the negative connotations, for it turns out they might actuallybe good for us. Kate Bussmann managed to put down her iPad and allowed her mind to wander for the purposes of research.

Here are 6 top maintenance rules governing how we can be better and kinder friends to our friends.

Several current international rugby and league players have reached out to Shontayne Hape for advice following his shocking revelation of his concussion-enforced retirement.

A mother who cut her baby's throat was reunited just months later with the child inside the psychiatric facility where she was being treated.

All Blacks Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock and Sam Whitelock have helped announce a multi-million-dollar investment in research into child and teenage mental health.

An international search has begun for a researcher to delve into child and teenage mental health after Cure Kids received a multi-million-dollar private donation.

With the news that researchers believe they have discovered a compound that could revolutionise the treatments of addiction, Greg Dixon asks why only some people become addicts and why society seems to view some addictions as ‘worse’ than others.

A study has found that women are more likely to have a baby after they discover friends from high school have become mothers.

People who display high levels of "cynical distrust" are three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

New Zealand is among the 20 happiest countries in the world, with a new index ranking us alongside Canada, Australia and the UAE.

Mental health problems including anorexia and recurrent depression are as deadly as smoking, research suggests.

A survey has found Google now beats talking to friends for young Kiwis wanting to know about sex, drugs, alcohol, depression, stress or their health.

A luxury homeware line that Charlotte Dawson was working on before she took her life has been launched in Australia with proceeds to go to her favourite charities.

here are clearly a lot of arachnophobes. But do they know why they fear spiders? Can they do something to control those fears?