When you think of conditions like depression, you might think of periods of intense sadness.

That can certainly be a part of it. But depression can manifest in other ways, too, including anhedonia, where you feel numb and devoid of many feelings at all.

Anhedonia “has been recognised as a critical feature of major depressive disorder,” affecting as many as 90% of those with depression, recent research published in JAMA Network Open found.

Treatment for depression has typically focused on reducing negative emotions, but hasn’t really addressed anhedonia.

Some people with mental illnesses like depression have said they were more interested in feeling positive emotions than they were in stopping the negative ones completely.

So, to help test that theory, researchers looked into positive affect treatment (also known as PAT).

PAT is designed to activate the brain’s reward system. It can involve activities which train the mind to focus on gratitude, joy, connection, and “loving kindness”, and encourage rewarding activities.

“Reward learning is promoted by strengthening the association between positive behaviours and enhanced mood and by encouraging self-attribution for positive outcomes,” the paper reads.

It’s not so much about discussing negative emotions directly, also known as “negative affect”.

This randomised controlled trial included 98 people with severe anhedonia, depression and anxiety. PAT lasted 15 sessions.

Compared to the same amount of more traditional “negative affect” treatments (NAT), participants who’d had PAT saw a greater reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms.

They also appeared to experience more positive emotions and fewer negative ones, which study co-author and psychologist Dr Alicia E. Meuret told The Washington Post surprised her.

“We expected that PAT would be better for improving positive affect, anhedonia, and NAT would be better for decreasing negative affect. But in all cases, PAT was superior. That was a really important finding,” she said – and it’s something she and her team have been able to replicate thrice.

Benefits seemed to last, too. “Clinical status improved more rapidly with PAT than NAT, with superior outcomes [one month later],” the paper said.

We can’t say for sure, and it’s important to note that many research-backed approaches use elements of NAT.

Additionally, both NAT and PAT gave participants benefits in this study.

But study co-author and psychologist Dr Meuret said: “There’s a difference between feeling helpless and feeling hopeless.

“When you feel helpless, you still have the drive and the will to want to change things. When people feel hopeless, they don’t believe anything will change. That’s what anhedonia can look like, and taking away negative emotions doesn’t fix it.”

She added that “it’s not enough to take away the bad” and ended: “Treatment needs to ask: Is this activity meaningful to you? Will it give you joy or a sense of accomplishment? Does it foster connection?”

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

Keir Starmer is facing fresh calls to quit as a surge in support for Reform UK left Labour facing local election humiliation.

Early results in England showed Nigel Farage’s party making major gains at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives.

With around one-fifth of council results declared by 5am, Labour had already lost nearly 200 councillors, with Reform gaining nearly 300.

Labour had so far lost control of five councils, including Tameside in former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s constituency.

In Wigan, the seat held by culture secretary Lisa Nandy, Labour lost all 22 of the seats it was defending, and Reform gaining 24 of the 25 seats up for grabs.

Even in those councils where Labour have held on to overall control, support for the party has collapsed while Reform have surged.

The early results confirmed Labour’s worst fears that they could suffer close to 2,000 losses in England overall.

Labour MP Jonathan Brash, whose wife was among the party’s councillors to lose her seat on Hartlepool Council, said: “It’s been a terrible night for the Labour Party.

“What I’ve seen here is extraordinarily good, hardworking Hartlepool people lose their seats. I’ve seen canvassers working night and day in this election and it’s all been for nought, and the reason has nothing to do with them.

“The reality is that we need change at the top of the Labour Party. I think the very best thing the prime minister could do now is to address the nation tomorrow to set out a timetable for his departure.

“We can then have an orderly transition, one that ensures that the full breadth of talent of the Labour Party is able to stand should it want to.”

But justice minister Sarah Sackman dismissed Brash’s suggestion.

She told Sky News: “You’ve got to go with the plan, not with the mood. We won a landslide victory [at the last general election] on the promise of change. We have to embody that change, we need to embody the need to modernise our public services, to be on people’s side, to change the status quo.”

With the Tories also on course for major losses, Farage said “what you’re witnessing is an historic change in British politics”.

He said: “Forget left-right, there is no more left-right, it’s gone, it’s out of the window, it’s finished. As you can see we are scoring stunning percentages in traditional old Labour areas.

“We’re way exceeding anything that I thought, this is happening right across the north. What you’ll see tomorrow is the same pattern repeated across the south … It is the most huge change in British politics.”

The early results confirmed that it is going to be a good night for the Green Party, whose leader Zack Polanski also called on the prime minister to go.

He said: “I’ve made it clear that we are here not just to be disappointed by Labour, but to replace them. These early results indicate that voters want to see that change too. That is why Keir Starmer has to listen to the people and go.”

With dozens of English councils still to declare, and counting not even having begun yet in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections, things could still get far worse for Labour.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice told the BBC that both Labour and the Tories “are losing seats at a scale that is towards the higher end of what they feared”.

Labour peer and skills minister Jacqui Smith told the BBC: “We understand the frustration that people feel, and the challenge for us is to keep delivering on that change, building on the things that have already happened … but talk about the future of this country with more optimism than we’ve managed to do up to this point.”

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

We’ve all been there: you’re getting a bus or train home after a long day at work, and someone’s blaring their music out of their phone speaker, or taking an obnoxiously loud phone call that you can hear every word of.

It’s annoying, and quite frankly, rude.

Speaking exclusively to HuffPost UK, former Royal butler Grant Harrold, said: “There are many basic rules we’re meant to follow on [systems like] the Tube, including giving up our seat to someone more in need and moving right down the carriage.”

However, there are some extra things you should avoid doing if you really want to be the perfect traveller when it comes to riding public transport.

“Don’t play your music without headphones; the other passengers won’t necessarily care for your Taylor Swift or Spice Girls playlist,” Harrold warned.

“You spent a lot of money on those fancy headphones – use them.”

“Avoid eating or drinking anything smelly or with a strong odour, wait until you’re out of the train, [and] keep your tinned fish closed! Otherwise, fellow passengers may think they’ve entered a fish market,” the ex-butler told us.

Harrold thinks dress codes should be maintained, even on public transport.

“Wearing pyjamas or a onesie is not an option unless you plan on spending the night” on the train or bus, he said.

“Also, we all know certain lines get unbearably hot during the summer – but gentlemen, please resist the urge to take your top off.”

This is not your private space, the etiquette expert stressed. “When travelling with friends, please keep conversation appropriate, as you don’t know who is around you,” he said.

“The elderly couple next to you don’t want to hear about your cheeky weekend antics.”

“Apart from the fact that it will cut you off – which is bad etiquette towards whoever you’re chatting with – nobody else needs to hear about your life stories or the cream you just bought for your bottom,” Harrold ended.

If it’s urgent, “keep it as short as you can and use your headphones”.

A fan of the former Spice Girls singer Melanie C has spotted a rather unfortunate typo on her new album.

Last week, Melanie unveiled her latest album Sweat, which marked a return to the dance-inspired sound first showcased early on in her solo career.

However, in a TikTok shared on Monday, Brad Bellman noticed that something wasn’t quite right with his vinyl copy.

“So, I think someone’s getting fired,” he quipped. “My delivery full of Melanie C Sweat stuff came today. I did an unboxing […] and a friend of mine was like, ‘did you get the Melanine version?’.”

Indeed, Brad then tipped his record on its side to reveal that her name had been misspelled as “Melanine C” on the spine of his copy.

“Who the fuck is Melanine?” he joked.

Down in the comments, another fan pointed out that Sweat is Melanie’s ninth record, so the misprint might actually have been intentional.

“That’s what I thought too,” Brad responded. “But the CDs and cassettes don’t say it. Surely if it was intentional it would be on all of them?”

HuffPost UK has contacted Melanie C’s team for comment.

An official press release for Sweat explained: “Before she became Mel C of the Spice Girls, she was Melanie Chisholm of ‘The F**king Yeah Four’, a group of 18-year-old friends dancing through the Costa Brava rave scene in the early ’90s.

“Those nights of breakbeats, sweat and freedom would shape her forever. Decades later, Melanie C channels that same raw energy into Sweat—her ninth studio album and most euphoric record to date.”

The I Turn To You singer previously said of her latest release: “There are so many horrific things going on in the world… music is what gets me through tough moments. I’m really happy I am bringing out a joyful record at a very dark time.”

Watch the music video for the new Melanie C album’s title track below:

A Dutch cruise ship has recently seen a breakout of hantavirus. The WHO has said that the virus might have been transmitted from person to person, which would be unusual for the disease, which usually only spreads from rodents.

Three deaths have been connected to the outbreak, and two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed so far.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said that “WHO assesses that the overall risk to the public is low.”

We spoke to Dr Dominic Greenyer, GP and director at The Health Suite in Leicester, about how the disease spreads, its symptoms, and how it may affect us.

“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that are mostly spread by rodents. Infection in humans is rare, but it can cause serious illness and death,” the doctor explained.

UKHSA explained that they can cause everything from “mild, flu-like” illness to full-blown, severe respiratory disease.

“There are two types of syndromes associated with hantaviruses. They are hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS),” Dr Grant said.

Hantaviruses are found all over the world, including parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

However, the UKHSA shared, “Only Seoul hantavirus – which does not transmit person to person – has ever been identified in the UK.”

“Hantaviruses are usually spread by infected rodents through their urine, droppings or saliva,” Dr Grant said.

That’s why Van Kerkhove called suspected person-to-person transmission on board the cruise ship “uncommon”.

Symptoms usually occur one to four weeks after exposure, though they can appear as late as eight weeks later.

The UKHSA said that in general, symptoms include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or shortness of breath.

Dr Grant broke that down further.

“Symptoms of HPS [hantavirus pulmonary syndrome] can include a fever, headaches, dizziness and gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting, pain and diarrhoea. Some days after the initial illness, there can be a sudden onset of respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath,” said Dr Grant.

“HFRS [haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome] is clinically similar, with symptoms including headaches, fever and chills. In later stages, symptoms can include low blood pressure and kidney failure.”

Dr Greenyer added, “The World Health Organisation currently classes the risk to the global population as ‘low’”.

Fans of The Bear eagerly awaiting the fifth and final season have been treated to an unexpected gift to tide them over.

On Tuesday, Disney+ dropped the surprise new flashback episode, titled Gary, on its streaming platform.

The stand-alone episode focusses on a road trip Richie and Mikey once took to the city of Gary, Indiana, and is not listed among the rest of the series (meaning fans have to search “Gary” on Disney+ if they want to see it).

Ebon Moss-Bachrach – who won two Emmys for his portrayal of Richie in The Bear – announced on Tuesday that he and co-star Jon Bernthal had written the episode together, with The Bear’s creator Christopher Storer on directing duties.

“We are so excited to finally share this little adventure with Richie and Mikey,” he beamed, adding: “Making this was a dream come true. Thank you to the beautiful people of Gary, Indiana and as always Chicago, Illinois.”

An official press release for Gary teased: “This episode follows Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich and Michael ‘Mikey’ Berzatto on a work trip to Gary, Indiana.

“Intimate and revealing, it illuminates the two friends’ complicated relationship, uncovering new layers of Mikey’s mental state while offering crucial insight into the man Richie is when audiences first meet him in season one — adding emotional context that reframes their story from the very beginning.”

Season five of The Bear is expected to return to our screens in the summer, though an official release date has not been confirmed, with production getting underway in January.

Last year’s run ended with leading man Jeremy Allen White’s character, Carmy, leaving the show’s central restaurant and signing over his stake in it.

Despite this feeling to many like a goodbye to The Bear, the series was soon renewed for its fifth season, which was later revealed to be its last.