People usually regard wilderness countryside as more beautiful than cultivated nature and unhappy people often find solace in it. However, a series of studies shows that wilderness is also strongly associated with both death and uncontrollability and that in order to feel the beauty, we have to manage these fears. People who had an active attitude to the management of their thoughts and feelings were better at enjoying wilderness. Implication: as you gaze out at your desert or wild forest holiday destination, or from the cliffs by the sea, suppress those morbid thoughts in order to feel inspired.

Religious belief or attending church regularly is strongly associated with adult mental health. This seems to apply to children. A study of 34,000 boys aged 13 to 15 found that ones from independent Christian schools were less likely to say they 'often feel depressed'. Whereas three-quarters of the God-squadders said they felt their life had a sense of purpose, only half of boys from non-denominational schools felt this. Implication: there is a God?

More evidence that criminals are not so much bad as mad. A study of 2,000 convicted Swedish murderers found that over 90 per cent had a mental illness. Half had a substance-use disorder or personality disorder, one-fifth had been actually psychotic. This is not just a Swedish thing - in Britain's prison population, 74 per cent have two or more mental illnesses. Implication: treat, don't stigmatise them.