Clare Hall Fellow Professor Barbara Sahakian has taken part in a recent episode of The Naked Scientists podcast, Children’s mental health, and mapping bilingual brains.

Professor Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge, spoke about the sharp rise in referrals to children’s mental health services in England, with particular attention to increases in anxiety, depression, autism diagnoses, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In conversation with presenter Rachael Ralph, Professor Sahakian discussed some of the possible factors behind these trends, including the impact of social media, technology use, bullying, the COVID-19 pandemic, and reduced social connection. She also highlighted research showing the long-term benefits of reading for pleasure in childhood, including better mental health, cognition, school attainment, and brain structure in adolescence.

The episode also explores new research into how bilingual brains navigate different languages, alongside other recent developments in science.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast/childrens-mental-health-and-mapping-bilingual-brains