The Open University

How to manage the digital-related stress of technology

9 October 2018

How can we avoid the stress and anxiety associated with the digital age? Dr Gini Harrison and Dr Mathijs Lucassen give us five tips. In a related article on the dark side of technology, we explored how research is starting to show that smartphone and multimedia use is related to anxiety and poor cognitive function. So, what can […]

New Research Study into Coupledom in Later Life

2 October 2018

As we celebrate the International Day of Older People on October 1st, researchers at The Open University are embarking on a study into one of the major worries for older couples- becoming separated if one of them has to go into a care home. The study, titled ‘Coupledom in later life: living together and apart’, […]

Feet of female - obese - on weighing scales

Could being born to an obese mother increase your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease?

31 August 2018

Figures suggest that 1 in 3 of those born* each year in the UK will develop Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in their lifetime. The root causes of AD are not fully understood, however, scientists at The Open University (OU) are researching the link between this degenerative disease and those born to obese mothers. Senior Lecturer in […]

Lady Gaga’s Twitter blunder and why speculating about suicide after a celebrity death is problematic

13 August 2018

Lady Gaga’s apology “if I spoke too soon” about the tragic passing of Rick Genest – a Canadian artist, actor, and fashion model, also known as Zombie Boy – highlights how difficult it can be to talk about sudden and unexpected deaths. The superstar who has 76m Twitter followers, retracted tweets that referred to Genest’s […]

International project aims to cut cancer deaths in East Africa

24 July 2018

A cross-continent health project is now aiming to address an emerging health crisis in East Africa, by creating lower-cost care for cancer patients. Led by The Open University, it brings together researchers in India, the UK and Africa and has been awarded nearly £700,000 from the Economic and Social Research Council. Dr Mercy Njeru, from […]

E-therapy: a technological step too far?

24 July 2018

Talking therapies are psychological therapies where people talk to a professional about their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. They aim to give people a safe time and place to talk to someone who won’t judge them, help them make sense of what is happening, assist them to resolve complicated or unhelpful feelings, and to support them […]

Memories tell 70 year history of NHS in new BBC series

29 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. The NHS: A People’s History One of these […]

Will a pill be enough to end the HIV epidemic?

27 June 2018

The People vs the NHS: Who Gets the Drugs? on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesday 27 June, is an Open University and BBC co-production, following the incredible story of the battle for HIV drug pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, on the NHS. People at very high risk for HIV take PreP daily to lower their chances of getting infected […]

Abortion ban in Northern Ireland likely to worsen mental health crisis

21 June 2018

Northern Ireland is one of only two regions in Europe where abortion effectively remains illegal (Malta being the other). This is a confirmed breach of human rights – one that threatens to deepen the mental health crisis of women in Northern Ireland. Abortion is not allowed in Northern Ireland unless the life of the mother […]

Happy Birthday NHS! Three OU/BBC programmes mark 70th anniversary

20 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service, one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. NHS at 70 – Live NHS […]

OU News

Category: Health