Our top five psychology stories from May 2025 

A BPS member shares their inspirational career journey  

Annika Sidhu has generously shared the steps she took to pursue a career as a mental health and wellbeing practitioner. Annika covers off her initial (unhelpful) Google search of what the job role included, talks through her early excitement of the training course and the 'wobbles' she experienced during the newly-qualified period,  

One of May's most-read blogs, this is essential reading if you're considering exploring this new and emerging role in the psychological workforce.  

Celebrating an 'outstanding' award winner 

Congratulations to Dr Abigail Fiske for being presented with the Award for Outstanding Doctoral Research Contributions to Psychology. She was recognised for her impressive study into early years development, where she explored the attention and high-level cognitive skills in the first two years of a person's life.   

We spoke to Dr Fiske after she was presented with the award, and she told us that she was 'honoured and delighted' and thanked the families who had taken part and her PhD supervisors.  

How psychology can support trauma recovery 

In one of our recent Psychology Matters interviews, student Paul Mullins shared how studying psychology has helped him to process the trauma he experienced during his career as a Royal Marine and a Police Officer. 

Want to read more stories from our inspiring psychology community? The Psychology Matters programme has plenty of insightful interviews with BPS members. 

Encouraging psychologists to become activists  

Dr Mehdi Alemohammad explains how psychologists shouldn't be scared of being seen as 'difficult' when they raise their head above the parapet. 

Speaking from his own experience of feeling frustrated in a work environment and the inaction he saw, he suggests that rather than letting anger simmer, psychologists can find ways to make an active difference to the causes and issues that matter to them. 

Is Mark Zuckerberg wrong about mental health? 

The BPS responded to the Meta founder's claims that AI and chatbots are a possible solution to rising levels of loneliness and isolation. While AI has its benefits to society, the BPS believes that it shouldn't be used as a 'silver bullet' to address the mental health crisis.  

Instead, the focus should be on providing fully-funded and holistic services – delivered by people.