All In The Mind

Why do people lie? Why do relationships fall apart? Can trauma change your brain?

Every week on All in the Mind, award-winning journalist Sana Qadar explores the psychology behind the biggest questions in our lives — how we think, feel and behave.

Featuring leading experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross, you’ll hear personal stories and practical insights that will leave you thinking long after the podcast ends.

Whether it’s debunking pop psychology trends or translating the latest neuroscience research, more than 100,000 listeners join Sana each month to learn the best strategies for surviving life with your mental health intact.

All in the Mind is created for ABC’s Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and was awarded Best Health and Wellness podcast at the 2026 Australian Audio Awards

Latest Episodes:

Look up and connect Jun 30, 2019

Show notes

When you’re waiting in a queue there are various ways to bide your time: chat to someone, gaze off into the distance, or check your phone. The science of human interaction tells us that the impact on your brain and body is vastly different depending on your choice. Live person-to-person connection changes us and the society we live in, so it’s in our best interests to use technology sensibly.

Psychiatry for the future Jun 23, 2019

Show notes

It could be that the profession of psychiatry needs a revolution. A UK medical doctor with experience in mental health feels that we’re still trying to understand and come to terms with mental health issues—and how best to provide treatment. He talks with two psychiatrists, a historian, and a service user. They all can imagine a different future for psychiatry.

Adventures in sleep Jun 16, 2019

Show notes

At night our brain can have adventures. Even if they're fully asleep, some people end up sleep walking or even sleep driving! The neuroscience of nightmares and dreaming—and what they can tell us about the workings of our brain.

The power of social norms—rules to make or break? Jun 09, 2019

Show notes

What ultimately drives human behaviour? A leading professor of psychology, Michele Gelfand, suggests that culture is one of the last uncharted frontiers. From her pioneering research into cultural and social norms she’s found an important distinction between tight and loose cultures, and their tendency to make or break rules. These social norms or informal rules of conduct determine whether we co-operate or come into conflict, at both the collective and individual levels.

Mental health in Indonesia Jun 02, 2019

Show notes

Mental health is a major and highly stigmatised problem in Indonesia. Some villages still practise ‘pasung’ where the mentally ill are kept in cages separate from the family home—because of a taboo. Indonesian PhD candidate Sandy Onie had his own lived experience of mental illness, and so did his father—but psychological help was hard to come by. Now Sandy is determined to make a change.

The silence around schizophrenia May 26, 2019

Show notes

What’s the scariest word in the English language? Still highly stigmatised, schizophrenia is the illness that we dare not speak about openly, and this silence may get in the way of recovery.

Why smart people do stupid things May 19, 2019

Show notes

Smart people are not only just as prone to making mistakes as everyone else—they may even be more susceptible to them. This idea has been dubbed the Intelligence Trap. It explains the flaws in our understanding of intelligence and expertise, and how the decisions of even the brightest minds and talented organisations can backfire.

Disasters and children's mental health May 12, 2019

Show notes

Traumatic events such as mass shootings and natural disasters can cause high proportion of children to suffer mental health problems. We hear how to equip adults to minimise the impact of trauma on children.

Loving Lucy May 05, 2019

Show notes

Parenting can be tough—even when your child is considered so-called ‘normal’. Nine-year-old Lucy looks like a curly haired angel, but she's often strangely manipulative and physically violent. Her mum and dad are still searching for a diagnosis which could make sense of her extreme behaviour. But their patience and love for Lucy is extraordinary.

Dementia, sleep and daydreaming Apr 28, 2019

Show notes

Dementia affects around 450,000 Australians, and it comes in hundreds of forms. New research reveals that one form of dementia takes away the ability to daydream, and this has implications for improved care. Sleep disruption in middle age also emerges as another risk factor. And we hear how, after diagnosis, one person found a meaningful role in breaking down the stigma of dementia.

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