Author: Corey Smith

The number of boys calling the UK telephone helpline Childline has been rising. Historically, boys made up around 20% of calls, but over the last five years that figure has climbed to roughly one in three. That’s encouraging progress—yet boys still contact the service far less than girls, which suggests barriers remain. What boys called about (2007/08) Even with the increase, twice as many girls as boys phone Childline. Why? One hypothesis is socialisation: during puberty many girls strengthen support networks through talk and sharing, while many boys are nudged toward competition and status—conditions that can make opening up about…

Bullying is not “just a phase.” In my work with men, I often hear how school-age bullying quietly echoes into adulthood. Many carry a protective worldview—people can’t be trusted—that once kept a boy safe but now traps the man in isolation and hyper-vigilance. Painfully, this guarded stance can also attract workplace bullies who sense withdrawal or uncertainty. When the Wound Turns Outward Another complication I see is the cycle of harm: some men who were bullied later find themselves bullying others. Facing the full extent of one’s own hurt often means also acknowledging the hurt we’ve caused. That honesty is…

Observed on 26 August, Women’s Equality Day is a moment to reflect on progress toward gender equality and on the gaps that remain. In the United States, the date marks the certification of the 19th Amendment, which secured women’s voting rights. Around the world, many women still face barriers to education, participation in public life, access to justice and personal safety, and in some regions harmful practices such as sex-selective abortion persist. Why write about women’s equality on a men’s well-being site? Because equality benefits everyone. Supporting women’s rights is compatible with caring about men’s health and experiences. The aim…

Walk into many nursing homes and you’ll notice a striking pattern: women tend to outnumber men. While many factors shape life expectancy, research suggests one powerful (and often overlooked) predictor of longevity is a personality trait—conscientiousness. What is conscientiousness? Conscientiousness describes being dependable, organized, self-disciplined, and goal-oriented. People higher on this trait are more likely to plan ahead, follow through, and make steady, health-supporting choices. For a concise definition, see the APA Dictionary of Psychology. What the research suggests Work summarized by psychologists Howard Friedman and Margaret Kern reports a clear association between conscientiousness and longer life. In a meta-analysis…

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps people understand the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. For many, a structured CBT approach leads to meaningful improvement. But what if you can’t (or don’t want to) see a therapist in person? A practical alternative is computerised CBT (also called digital or online CBT), which delivers CBT techniques through guided, self-paced modules. Does computerised CBT work? Digital CBT programs have been shown to help many people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression. They typically include psychoeducation, thought monitoring, behavioural activation, and problem-solving skills. In the UK, NHS services increasingly offer clinically reviewed online…

Why looking after dad’s mind is family care, not a luxury. Children of fathers who have psychiatric disorders are around twice as likely to develop psychiatric or behavioural problems themselves, according to research published in The Lancet by a University of Oxford team. What’s striking is timing: men are most prone to many common mental health difficulties during the same life stage they’re most likely to become fathers—roughly ages 18–35. Why this matters Historically, the mental health of mothers and its impact on children has (rightly) received a lot of attention. But as fathers and non-birthing partners play ever larger…

When I was a university student, I drew a firm boundary: God was about meaning and morality; science was about the laws that govern matter and energy. In my mind, neither could confirm or deny the other. Lately, though, work in cognitive science and neuroscience has nudged me to soften that wall—not by “proving” or “disproving” anything metaphysical, but by showing how readily the human brain generates religious and spiritual experience. What science is finding So, does this prove anything? No. These findings don’t prove—or disprove—the existence of a deity. What they do suggest is that the human brain is…

Note: This article explores psychology and wellbeing. It isn’t legal advice and does not endorse illegal activity. Always prioritise consent, privacy, and local laws. What counts as “risky” sex here? By “risky sex,” we’re talking about behaviours that can increase legal, physical, or health risks—such as public acts that breach decency laws or anonymous encounters in locations where safety and consent can be hard to verify. For some men, the danger itself seems to heighten arousal and keep them returning to the same scenarios. Why risk can feel rewarding Several psychological ingredients often combine: When risk fills an empty space…

As a therapist who specializes in working with men, I’m often asked—usually by female journalists on female-focused platforms—about “men’s midlife crisis.” The interest is real, but the phenomenon is more nuanced than a stereotype of toupees, sports cars, and wandering eyes. Is a “midlife crisis” even real? There’s no formal psychiatric diagnosis called “midlife crisis.” What many people experience is a midlife transition—a period of reflection brought on by changing roles, health, career, and relationships. For some, this is energizing; for others, it’s unsettling. Large reviews suggest the idea of a universal, inevitable crisis is overstated, though mood changes and…

Sociobiology is the branch of biology that explains social behavior—including mating and cooperation—through evolution and natural selection. Alcock’s book is a crisp, highly readable primer that also serves as a spirited defense of the field. If you’re new to the topic, it’s a solid “on-ramp,” and if you’ve heard only the controversies, it offers useful context and evidence (for an accessible overview of the discipline itself, see Encyclopaedia Britannica’s entry on sociobiology). What the book does well Where it falls short After convincingly arguing that sociobiology applies to people, the book offers fewer human-focused case studies than you might hope.…