"Depphjärnan : varför mår vi så dåligt när vi har det så bra?" - Anders Hansen

"Depphjärnan: varför mår vi så dåligt när vi har det så bra?"

A popular science book in Swedish about the brain, emotions, stress and mental health, level B2+.

Why do so many of us experience stress, anxiety and low mood even though, in terms of safety, health and living conditions, we have more opportunities and greater comfort than previous generations? In Depphjärnan, Swedish psychiatrist Anders Hansen examines this apparent paradox from the perspective of how the human brain works and how it has evolved.

Hansen explains that our brains were not shaped for a world of constant comfort and continuous happiness. The mechanisms responsible for stress, anxiety and strong reactions to threats developed over thousands of years in conditions where they helped humans avoid danger and increased their chances of survival. Our modern environment, however, has changed far more quickly than the biological mechanisms of the brain.

The author shows how this evolutionary legacy influences our well-being in today’s intense and constantly connected world. He discusses emotions, stress, anxiety, depression, social relationships and our pursuit of happiness. He also considers why the constant expectation that we should feel good may itself become a source of frustration.

Depphjärnan does not stop at explaining where our reactions come from. Hansen also shows how knowledge about the brain can help us understand our own emotions better and take more conscious care of our mental well-being. He also highlights the close connection between the brain and the condition of the body as a whole.

Why is Depphjärnan worth reading in Swedish?

This is the original Swedish-language edition of Anders Hansen’s popular science book.

The book helps expand vocabulary related to psychology, psychiatry, emotions, health and the functioning of the brain.

Hansen presents scientific topics in an accessible way, making the book a good choice as a first longer non-fiction read in Swedish for learners at a more advanced language level.

The pocket edition has 224 pages and is intended for reading in the original Swedish.

Anders Hansen

Anders Hansen is a Swedish physician, psychiatrist and graduate of Karolinska Institutet. He is the author of books popularising knowledge about the brain and mental health that have been translated into more than twenty languages. He has also written over two thousand articles on medical research and pharmaceuticals and was the creator and presenter of the popular science programme Din hjärna on Swedish television channel SVT.