The Mental Elf previews the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network Annual Scientific Meeting with Dr. Rob Waller, Consultant Psychiatrist from NHS Lothian.

They discuss the rapid digital transformation in NHS mental health services triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the implementation of video consultations and electronic records in CAMHS. Dr. Waller shares his insights on overcoming hardware and software challenges, enhancing data accessibility, and utilizing clinical data for research and service improvements. The conversation touches on the importance of multidisciplinary approaches, the impact of technology on patient care, and the role of AI and big data in mental health research. Join us to explore the intersection of technology and mental health care and learn about the potential benefits for clinicians and researchers.

00:00 Introduction to the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network Annual Scientific Meeting

00:30 Impact of the Pandemic on Digital Transformation in NHS Lothian

02:05 Challenges and Solutions in Digital Record Keeping

04:23 National and Local Perspectives on Digital Health Services

06:10 Lessons from New Zealand and Structured Digital Transformation

09:51 Developing and Implementing Digital Forms

17:01 Monitoring and Improving Digital Health Practices

23:19 The Role of DataLoch in Mental Health Research

34:49 Hopes for the Conference

Find out more:

• Digital capability framework for NHS Scotland
• Leadership development programme
• DataLoch: their trusted data repository for research

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Join Douglas Badenoch and Prof. Deborah Cairns from the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory as they delve into the health disparities faced by those with learning disabilities.

In this podcast preview, Deborah shares groundbreaking research findings from comprehensive health checks, cancer studies, and big data analysis. Learn how collaborative efforts in the medical field are driving changes to improve healthcare access and outcomes for individuals with learning disabilities.

Don't miss the insightful discussion on November 7th at the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Annual Scientific Meeting in Edinburgh. Follow our live coverage using the hashtag #NRSMH24.

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This Mental Elf podcast is part of the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network's Annual Scientific Meeting, 7th November 2024. 

Host Douglas speaks with Dr. Veenu Gupta, Assistant Professor at Durham University, about the burgeoning role of the Lived Experience Workforce in mental health research. Dr. Gupta, who has personal experience with psychosis, shares insights into how lived experiences inform and shape research, training, and clinical practices.

The discussion delves into the historical context of lived experience roles, the challenges and benefits of integrating personal experiences with professional work, and the various roles within the lived experience workforce. Dr. Gupta also highlights findings from her PhD research, emphasising the importance of support, supervision, and balancing the power dynamics in research settings.

Tune in to learn about the evolution, current landscape, and future directions of lived experience roles in mental health research, as well as practical advice for both researchers and lived experience professionals.

00:00 The Evolution of Lived Experience Roles in Mental Health Research

00:34 Meet Dr. Veenu Gupta

02:16 Veenu's Journey and Research Focus

05:24 Challenges and Evolution in Lived Experience Roles

08:08 Historical Context of Lived Experience Work

12:18 Different Lived Experience Roles

15:54 Support Needs for Lived Experience Researchers

18:33 Future Directions and Support for Lived Experience Workforce

21:37 Final Question: Advice for Researchers and Health Professionals

21:46 Importance of Lived Experience in Research

22:35 Balancing Power Dynamics in Research

23:23 Challenges and Emotional Labour in Lived Experience Roles

25:46 Introduction to Q Studies

28:15 Feedback and Impact of Research

Further reading:

• Gupta, V., Eames, C., Golding, L. et al. Understanding the identity of lived experience researchers and providers: a conceptual framework and systematic narrative review. Res Involv Engagem 9, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00439-0
• Gupta, V., Eames, C., Bryant, A. et al. Identifying the priorities for supervision by lived experience researchers: a Q sort study. Res Involv Engagem 10, 66 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-024-00596-w

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As climate change accelerates, so does the mental distress it causes. In this episode, we interview Dr. Elizabeth Marks and Dr. Kris De Meyer to explore the critical intersection between mental health and climate change.

We discuss eco-anxiety - the difficult emotions caused by direct or indirect exposure to climate change - and consider to what extent such emotions should be considered a clinical disorder. We also explore the unequal burden of climate change across populations and how fear-based climate messaging can be unhelpful. The episode goes on to suggest strategies for addressing both climate change and mental health, such as the benefits of 'action-based storytelling’ and the potential of individual agency and collective action to confront these challenges in an uncertain and changing world. 

00:00 Introduction 

02:00 What is eco-anxiety? 

04:54 Inequalities in impact of climate change 

07:25 Media messaging around climate change 

12:04 What can we do in response to climate change? 

19:42 Conclusion

Dr. Elizabeth Marks

Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Bath 

Deputy Director, Bath Centre for Mindfulness and Community 

https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/elizabeth-marks

Dr. Kris De Meyer 

Research Fellow, King’s College London Department of Neuroimaging 

Visiting Lecturer, King’s College London, Department of Geography

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/kris-de-meyer

Director, University College London Climate Action Unit 

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/climate-action-unit/how-we-work

Production credits

This podcast was produced by a group of PhD students from UCL. Huge thanks from the Mental Elf to the podcast team (in alphabetical order):

Alex Martin, PhD student, University College London 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmartin111/

Annabelle Olsson, PhD student, University College London 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelle-eveline-olsson-806b2214a/

Jasmine Lee (Presenter), PhD student, University College London 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmineleecy/

Jehanita Jesuthasan, PhD student, University College London

https://linkedin.com/in/jehanita-jesuthasan-0321851a3

Oliwia Stecko, PhD student, University College London 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliwia-stecko

Ritika Chokhani, PhD student, University College London

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritika-chokhani

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Welcome to the final episode of the British Association for Psychopharmacology 50th Anniversary Summer Meeting Podcast. 

In this episode, Andre is joined by Professor Femi Oyebode from the University of Birmingham. They discuss a broad range of topics, from Anton Chekhov's novella 'Ward Number Six' to the future of psychedelic medicine in psychiatry. 

Femi Oyebode shares insights on the evolution of psychiatric treatments, the significance of understanding historical psychiatric care, and the potential revolutionary impact of psychedelics. 

Follow the hashtag BAP2024 on social media platforms for more updates. Don't miss this deep dive into the intricate world of psychiatry!

00:00 Introduction to the BAP 2024 Podcast

00:52 Meet Professor Femi Oyebode

01:27 Exploring Anton Chekhov's Ward Number Six

01:42 The State of Psychiatric Treatments

09:05 The Promise of Psychedelic Medicine

16:16 Closing Thoughts and Podcast Highlights

Show links:

British Association for Psychopharmacology 50th anniversary summer meeting

https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

Femi Oyebode

https://femioyebode.com

BBC Radio 4 - Is Psychiatry Working? 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001h3y5

Anton Chekhov’s Ward No 6

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_No._6

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Exploring Cosmetic Psychopharmacology with Professor Dan Stein | BAP2024 Podcast Episode 6

Welcome to episode six of the BAP 2024 Podcast! Join André from The Mental Elf as he interviews Professor Dan Stein from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

They discuss the intriguing topic of cosmetic psychopharmacology and its implications on cognitive and mood enhancement. Learn about the history and conceptual challenges in this field as we preview Professor Stein's upcoming lecture at the BAP Conference in Birmingham.

Don't miss this deep dive into the world of psychotropic drugs and their off-label use for cognitive and affective enhancement.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:39 Event Coverage and Social Media

01:02 Introducing Dan Stein and Cosmetic Psychopharmacology

01:36 Understanding Cosmetic Psychopharmacology

03:09 Cosmetic vs. Clinical Psychopharmacology

05:44 Examples and Ethical Considerations

08:00 Scientific Evidence and Challenges

10:42 Conclusion and Upcoming Talk

12:02 Closing Remarks and Podcast Promotion

Find out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

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In episode four of the 2024 BIGSPD Podcast, André from The Mental Elf speaks with Anthony Bateman, a visiting professor at UCL and consultant at the Anna Freud Centre. Bateman discusses the concept of mentalizing, its role in human behavior, and the effectiveness of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) for conditions like borderline personality disorder and trauma. He explores the adaptability of MBT across various disorders and emphasizes personalized treatment. The conversation also touches on the debate about the classification of personality disorders and the impact of trauma and loneliness on treatment outcomes.

00:00 Introduction

01:26 Meet Anthony Bateman: Background and Expertise

01:53 Understanding Mentalizing

03:28 Development and Importance of Mentalizing

04:35 Impact of Early Trauma on Mentalizing

07:24 Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) Explained

11:09 Effectiveness and Adaptability of MBT

16:35 Challenges and Considerations in MBT

24:45 The Debate on Personality Disorder Labels

27:27 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

BIGSPD is the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder and their annual conference takes place in Belfast on 18-20 June 2024. Find out more at: https://bigspd.org.uk/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/

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In this episode of the BIGSPD Podcast, host André interviews Mel Ball, the first board-level Director for Lived Experience in the NHS. Mel shares her journey from grassroots peer support to her current leadership role, highlighting the importance of lived experience in transforming NHS services. She discusses the cultural changes required for effective co-production and lived experience leadership, and reflects on the broader systemic challenges and opportunities within the mental health sector. Mel also previews her upcoming keynote talk at the BIGSPD conference in Belfast, entitled 'The Wind and the Sun, A Fable of Lived Experience Leadership,' emphasising the moral and creative aspects of lived experience leadership.

00:00 Introduction to the BIGSPD Podcast

01:18 Meet Mel Ball: Director for Lived Experience

04:00 The Journey of Lived Experience Leadership

07:21 Roles and Responsibilities in the NHS

09:41 Challenges and Reflections

12:51 Future of Lived Experience Leadership

20:17 Invitation to the BIGSPD Conference

21:21 Closing Remarks

BIGSPD is the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder and their annual conference takes place in Belfast on 18-20 June 2024. Find out more at: https://bigspd.org.uk/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/

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In episode five of the BAP 2024 podcast, Professor David Nutt, a renowned psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist from Imperial College London, delves into the psychopharmacological aspects of alcohol. David Nutt is a past president of the British Association for Psychopharmacology and of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Hosted by André from the Mental Elf, this episode touches on the history and effects of alcohol, its social role, and the development of safer functional alternatives like Sentia. Prof. Nutt also discusses the future of drug policies and the rational use of regulated substances, providing a compelling preview of his upcoming talk at the BAP summer meeting in July.

00:00 Introduction to the BAP 2024 Podcast

01:04 Meet Professor David Nutt

02:14 Understanding Alcohol's Effects

04:07 The Popularity and Social Role of Alcohol

07:40 Exploring Alternatives to Alcohol

13:32 Future of Drug Policy and Safe Alternatives

17:15 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

Find out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

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In this episode of the BAP Podcast, host André from the Mental Elf interviews Professor Barbara Franke, a molecular biologist from Radboud University in Nijmegen, about the complexities of ADHD.

Franke discusses the genetic and environmental factors contributing to ADHD, the challenges of diagnosing the disorder in different populations, and the impact of societal views on ADHD. She emphasizes the need for integrated research and cross-disciplinary approaches, highlighting the importance of involving patients in the research process. Franke also addresses concerns about the neurodiversity movement and its potential implications for ADHD care and support. The episode covers key topics in ADHD research and sets the stage for more inclusive and comprehensive studies in the future.

01:54 Understanding ADHD: Causes and Factors

03:50 Genetics and ADHD

05:01 Societal Perspectives on ADHD

08:05 Underdiagnosis and Overdiagnosis of ADHD

10:14 Future Directions in ADHD Research

12:58 Challenges in Cross-Disciplinary Science

13:48 Co-Production in ADHD Research

16:15 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Find out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

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Welcome to the third and final episode of the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival podcast. Every year the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience hosts a 1 day festival that brings together a really diverse mix of mental health scientists, to present their work and learn from each other.

The theme this year is Origins and New Beginnings. Alongside the keynote talks from Melanie Abas, Emily Simonoff and Edgar Jones, there will be 21 lightning talks from some of the institute's top researchers, staff and students.

In this third podcast episode, we meet Melanie Amna Abas, Professor of Global Mental Health at King's College London. She's a psychiatric epidemiologist and a psychiatrist who cares for people in South London but also in Zimbabwe where she has worked clinically and as a researcher for many years. Her early research in Zimbabwe looked at the social origins of depression in women, and from there she has gone on to conduct interdisciplinary epidemiological research in other countries including Thailand, Moldova & Sri Lanka.

Her talk at the festival focuses on Global mental health and the ambition to end HIV/AIDS. You can hear more from Prof Abas at the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival, taking place on 15th May 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ioppn-research-festival--tickets-856888826547?aff=oddtdtcreator

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