MQ Open Mind

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to counselling psychologist and author Dr Chloe Paidoussis Mitchell.

Chloe is a highly experienced psychologist specialising in grief and trauma and how it relates to one’s mental health.

Recently, she released her first book, The Loss Prescription, which aims to use research and science to help one process grief with the hope of embracing life again.

In this conversation, they discussed grief and trauma’s effects on your mental health, the truth about the five stages of grief and finding the light after a loss.

Learn more about Dr Chloe and her latest book here: https://www.dr-chloe.com/

Visit our website to learn more about mental health research: https://mqmentalhealth.org/

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3 of MQ Open Mind!

Dr. Martha, a seasoned psychologist with a wealth of experience in her field, gained widespread recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic by sharing her expertise on Instagram, where she amassed a following of over 250,000 individuals. Now, she has taken her insights a step further by releasing her first book, "How To Be The Grown Up," which offers evidence-based strategies to support parents in navigating the complexities of raising children.

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Martha, Professor Rory, and Craig explore various topics, including potential enhancements to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), the impact of social media on young people's mental well-being, and practical ways to gain a deeper understanding of your child's inner world.

Tune in as they uncover valuable insights and practical tips to help you support the mental health and well-being of the young people in your life. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or simply interested in understanding more about the intricacies of child psychology, this episode is sure to provide you with valuable knowledge and actionable strategies.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to the CEO of the Centre for Mental Health, Andy Bell.

The Centre for Mental Health is an organization UK charity that focuses on building mental health research to create fairer mental health policies.

In September, over 30 mental health organisations, including MQ, joined together to call on all political parties to make a commitment to mental health in their election manifestos. The report, led by the Centre for Mental Health, made recommendations focused on prevention, equality and support.

In this conversation, they discussed the Mentally Healthier Nation report, how mental health issues disproportionately affect certain communities, and how the government can effectively support the nation.

You can learn more about the Centre for Mental Health here:

https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/

You can read the report here:

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/building-a-mentally-healthier-nation/

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to MQ researcher and academic clinical fellow at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, Dr Maxime Taquet.

Initially training to become an engineer, Maxime made the change to mental health research. Maxime’s current research is on the effects of COVID, specifically brain fog.

In this conversation, they discussed the long-term effects of COVID on the brain, why certain people develop brain fog, and how to effectively use large datasets.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and the head of the Psychedelics Research Centre at Imperial College London, Professor David Nutt.

David specialises in the research of drugs that affect the brain and conditions such as addiction, anxiety, and sleep. Currently, David is investigating if psychedelic drugs can be effective against treatment-resistant depression.

In this conversation, they discussed the stigma around drugs, alternative treatments for mental health issues, and why openness is important in research and innovation.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to PR professional and Mum of four, Hayley Peters, and professor of psychological medicine and psychiatrist at the University of Manchester, Professor Kathryn Abel.

Hayley has first-hand experience navigating child and adolescent mental health services as a parent, whereas Kathryn’s current research is on improving CAMHS so that more young people can get the help they deserve.

In this conversation, they discussed what CAMHS is, the problems young people have with accessing CAMHS, and how Kathryn’s latest research aims to improve the lives of countless children.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to professor of developmental psychology at Kings College London, Louise Arseneault.  

Louise’s research focuses on the study of harmful behaviours such as violence and substance dependence, their developmental origins, their inter-connections with mental health, and their consequences for victims.

In this conversation, they discussed the importance of cross-collaboration, utilising health data, and how childhood bullying can affect you later on in life.

On the 5th of July, MQ launched the very first Research Appreciation Day. A day to celebrate the hard work of health researchers from all disciplines.

For this special episode of Open Mind, and in honour of Research Appreciation Day, here are the questions that our guests would love to be answered by mental health research.

Open Mind will return in the autumn, and we hope to see you again for more lived experience stories and more mental health research.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to Occupational Therapist, Jenny Okolo.

Jenny is a highly experienced lead psychiatric occupational therapist and a respected mental health advocate. She has a strong background in the criminal justice sector. Her main expertise lies in promoting workplace wellbeing, supporting mental health, and advocating for neurodiversity.

Jenny is also enthusiastic about productivity and utilizes her career platform, SASA, to provide accessible resources and inspire personal development.

In this conversation, they discussed empathy in the criminal justice sector, understanding neurodiversity, and ensuring well-being in the workplace.

In this episode, we spoke to Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester, Tony Pisani, Head of Development at MQ, Emily Wheeler, and founder of Into The Light and suicide researcher, Benny Prawira, to discuss MQ’s latest paper, Gone Too Soon.

The Gone Too Soon paper is a roadmap written by 40 global experts, mixing mental health researchers, clinicians, policy experts and people with lived and living experience of mental illnesses and suicide. Together these 40 global experts have outlined 18 evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, business leaders and health workers the world over.

In this conversation, we discuss why the paper was created, the desired outcomes, and why these recommendations are so important.