Psych Matters

This episode revolves around the importance of youth mental health and the need for specialized care for young people. Dr Astha Tomar facilitates this discussion with distinguished panel members Prof Patrick McGorry, Dr Iain Macmillan, Dr Daniel Pellen, Dr Leonardo Sauaia,  and Dr Ian Soosay. They cover the deterioration of youth mental health in high-income countries, the impact of the pandemic, along with the need for increased funding and research in mental health care, and the challenges of accessing mental health services in rural and remote areas. They emphasize the importance of co-designing services with young people and their families, as well as the need for culturally sensitive care.

Dr Astha Tomar is the President-Elect 2023-2025 for RANZCP and will step into the role of President RANZCP from June 2025 to June 2027. She is the Director Clinical Services at Orygen Youth Specialist Program. She also works as a private psychiatrist

Prof Patrick McGorry is a psychiatrist known world-wide for his development and scaling up of early intervention and youth mental health services and for mental health innovation, advocacy, and reform. He is a Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and founding editor of the journal of Early Intervention in Psychiatry.

Dr Iain Macmillan has been a consultant psychiatrist since 1995. He has worked as a consultant in early intervention in psychosis, and youth mental health since 2003, and has a particular interest in the treatment of the affective psychoses including bipolar disorder and depression with psychosis.

Dr Daniel Pellen has been the chair of the RANZCP Binational Section of Youth Mental Health Committee since 2020 and is currently leading a group whose aim is to develop a sub-specialty in Youth Psychiatry. He is Clinical Lead of the Early Psychosis Intervention team in Western Sydney, works in private rooms in Sydney and has provided a specialist referral service at Headspace Bondi Junction. Daniel has also provided general Psychiatric outreach services to the rural New South Wales town of Armidale for the past six years.

Dr Leonardo Sauaia is a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, originally trained in Brazil, moved to New Zealand in 2014, and currently with Orygen Youth Health to work in early intervention for Personality Disorders.

Dr Ian Soosay is the clinical director for Mental Health at Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau. He was the deputy director of mental health at the ministry of Health New Zealand and been involved in many initiatives promoting Mental Health.

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Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

In this episode, experts in transgender health from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Victoria and Western Australia come together to discuss why they love working with transgender youth, what this entails, and the regional differences across the two countries. Acknowledging the lack of clinical education many psychiatrists (and doctors in general) will have received about transgender health, the podcast opens with a brief summary of essential knowledge before going on to discuss a wide range of topics. These include: how gender identity is formed, puberty blockers, and people who choose to stop gender-affirming treatments.

Dr Zoe Kristensen (she/her/ia) is a child and adolescent psychiatrist working at a busy
CAMHS service in Auckland. She has lived experience of gender diversity, and over the last decade has held various roles as transgender healthcare provider, medical educator, and policy advisor. Whilst contributions made during this podcast are not necessarily the positions held by these organisations, these are invariably informed by work as a Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Auckland, a faculty member for the WPATH GEI, an advisor for Manatū Hauora, and with PATHA.

Dr Tram Nguyen (she/her) is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Co-Lead at the Royal Children’s Hospital Gender Service. She is passionate about equity in healthcare and is a strong advocate for marginalised people. In her other roles, she is the Clinical Clinical Lead at the Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub and a long-standing Consultant with the Women’s Alcohol and Drug Service, The Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne.

Dr Julie Moore (she/her)  [MBBS (Hons), FRANZCP, Cert Child Adol Psychiatry] is a graduate of the University of Western Australia, and trained in the Western Australian training program of the RANZCP, after previous experience in hospital medicine, anaesthesia and occupational health. She is a member of the Australian Professional Association for Transgender Health and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and contributed to the development of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents (Telfer M and colleagues, 2018). 

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

In this episode Dr Jamie Speeden (Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist/Paediatrician)
discusses the care of transgender people with leading clinical experts in Aotearoa/New
Zealand. The discussion covers what gender affirming care is (as well as what it isn’t!) and the primary-care-lead model through which it is delivered and provided across Aotearoa/New Zealand. The panel discusses their experiences of providing gender-affirming care, explores how the role of the psychiatrist has changed since depsychopathologisation, and they share why they find working with transgender people to be particularly rewarding.

Dr Jamie Speeden (he/him) is a dual-trained child and adolescent psychiatrist and
paediatrician working as part of a busy CAMHS service and private practice in Auckland. For many years he worked in a community Youth Clinic who saw primarily trans and gender diverse rangitahi. He is passionate about working from a youth development model and not just a medical diagnostic framework.

Dr Caitlyn Drinkwater (she/her) is a clinical psychologist based in the Auckland region. She has previously worked for the regional transgender health services in both Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, and has provided this care both to adults and to youth. Her doctoral thesis explored the experiences of people with non-binary gender identities.

Dr Rebecca Nicholls (she/her) is a Specialist General Practitioner who works in
Otautahi/Christchurch providing gender affirming care to all ages using an informed-consent model. She also works for Te Whatu Ora Waitaha and Pegasus health as the Clinical Lead for Transgender health and was a co-author of the Primary Care Gender Affirming Guidelines, 2023.

Dr Elizabeth McElrea (she/her) is a GP with a special interest in Gender Affirming Care
(GPSI) and has been working in this area since 2015. With support, she set up the Gender Care Service at Tamatea Medical Centre (Napier, Hawkes Bay). Beth sits on the executive committee of the Professional Association for Transgender Healthcare Aotearoa  (PATHA) and is a member of the Ministry of Health advisory panel for projects supporting gender affirming care.

Resources:
Gender Minorities Aotearoa
Be There NZ
Storm Clouds & Rainbows (Resource for Parents of Gender Diverse Youth)
WPATH Standards of Care Version 8
NZ Primary Care Guidelines

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

In this episode, facilitated by Professor Bruce Singh AM, The Anna Freud Centre in the UK outline the work they are undertaking on behalf of the College to conduct an independent external review of the evidence for long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy for the treatment of mood disorders. The key components of the review are discussed, including systematic reviews of both quantitative and qualitative literature, and plans to conduct one-to-one interviews with health professionals and people with lived experience of psychotherapy. We also hear more about the Anna Freud Centre team working on the review. 

Further information about the review is available here: Mood disorders | RANZCP

Professor Bruce Singh AM is Chair of the RANZCP Mood Disorders Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Evidence Review Steering Group. He is an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and previously Head of Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne. He received his medical and psychiatry training at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney after graduating from the University of Sydney. 

Professor Peter Fonagy is the leader of UCL’s Psychology division and the Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre, a prominent charity dedicated to evidence based psychological intervention and treatment research. He is also a Consultant to the Child and Family Programme at the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, and holds visiting professorships at Yale and Harvard Medical Schools. Additionally, he has held a number of key national leadership positions as an expert clinical advisor.

Dr. Chloe Campbell is a Deputy Director at the Psychoanalysis Unit at the department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology at UCL. Chloe is an author on several meta-analyses and systematic review papers, such as a 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis which investigated long-term outcomes of psychological interventions on children and young people’s mental health. Dr Campbell is experienced in conducting and supervising qualitative research, including with participants with lived experience, and in developing ethics protocols.

Max Moser is a clinical research fellow at the Anna Freud Centre and a part-time doctoral student at the Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology department at UCL. As a researcher, his expertise lies in meta-analytic, systematic, and scoping review design methodologies. He has worked on the production of meta-analyses exploring treatment effects in psychotherapy and a systematic review looking at mechanisms of change in psychotherapy.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

This episode gives you a brief overview of the vision and goals for the Australasian Psychiatry journal in discussion with its new editorial team, hosted by Jeffrey Looi, Samantha Loi, Sharon Reutens and Tarun Bastiampillai.  They discuss the importance of promoting academia and scholarly projects, encouraging debate, and exploring policy and international perspectives. They also highlight the significance of psychiatry in the context of social sciences and the need for civilized discourse in the journal, empowered by a fair review process. They encourage listeners to contribute papers to the journal, and to especially use the expanded range of article types.

A/Prof Jeffrey Looi, MBBS Syd, MD ANU, DMedSc Melb, FRANZCP, AFRACMA, is a clinical academic neuropsychiatrist, in private and public practice, and Head of the Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University Medical School. Jeffrey leads the Australian, United States, Scandinavian-Spanish Imaging Exchange (AUSSIE) and the Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis (CAPIPRA). He has received multiple research and leadership awards including: a Fulbright Scholarship and Australian-Davos-Connection Future Summit Leadership Award. He is a co-author on more than 310 peer-reviewed papers, involving UCLA, Karolinska Institute and University of Melbourne. He is Editor-in-Chief of Australasian Psychiatry 

A/Prof Samantha Loi is an old age psychiatrist and neuropsychiatrist working at the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuropsychiatry Centre and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne.  She works clinically with people with young-onset neurocognitive disorders including Huntington’s disease and has 100 peer reviewed publications and grant funding in the area of young-onset dementia, ageing and mental health of older adults. Sam is immediate Past Chairs of the Young-Onset Dementia Special Interest Group and the Victorian Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age. She is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry. 

Dr Sharon Reutens, MBBS, FRANZCP is a psychiatrist in private practice and a Scientia PhD scholar at UNSW. She is trained in neuropsychiatry and old age psychiatry, focussing on forensic psychiatry in older people. She is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry.

Prof Tarun Bastiampillai, MBBS Adl, BMedSc, FRANZCP, is a consultant psychiatrist with academic affiliations at Flinders University and Monash University. He has served in several leadership roles including South Australian Executive Director of Mental Health strategy (2015-2017). He received the RANZCP Margaret Tobin Award in 2020 for his contributions to administrative psychiatry. He has published over 300 peer reviewed manuscripts. He is a Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

"Sheroes in Psychiatry" is an initiative of the Women in Psychiatry (WIP group). Sairee Chahal coined SHEROES in 1999 to denote "woman entrepreneur." WIP group selected the term "Sheroes" as a fitting term for every FRANZCP woman psychiatrist. By doing this podcast series, WIP aims to support and celebrate the work of Women psychiatrists. Their mission is to share the unique stories of this extraordinary group of women with the audience. The podcast plans to focus on who they are, where they come from, and where they are heading.

Dr. Jacqueline Rakov is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist and Deputy Chair of the Forensic Faculty RANZCP (Vic). A large portion of her work includes the preparation of psychiatric reports in matters concerning both criminal and civil law. A particular area of interest is medicolegal work and reviewing the standard of care in medical negligence claims. She has worked with both plaintiff and defendant law firms in such matters as well as serving as the independent expert to the Coroner's Court. A passionate educator, Jackie holds a Masters of Health Professions Education and enjoys teaching medical students and doctors as well as offering continuing professional development to the legal community. In a treatment capacity Jackie has worked extensively in forensic settings, treating mentally ill offenders, and now holds a current appointment as the forensic psychiatrist for Monash Health and has particular interests in psychotherapy and trauma disorders in private practice.

Dr Tina Rizkallah, is a consultant psychiatrist working in Victoria in the fields of forensic psychiatry and eating disorders. She is the past chair of women in psychiatry passionate advocate for gender equity both in and outside the workplace and training. Notable achievements include establishing the inaugural women in psychiatry dinner, conducting research on gender bias in psychiatry and lobbying the RANZCP for review of part time training fees. 

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

"Sheroes in Psychiatry" is an initiative of the Women in Psychiatry (WIP group). Sairee Chahal coined SHEROES in 1999 to denote "woman entrepreneur." WIP group selected the term "Sheroes" as a fitting term for every FRANZCP woman psychiatrist. By doing this podcast series, WIP aims to support and celebrate the work of Women psychiatrists. Their mission is to share the unique stories of this extraordinary group of women with the audience. The podcast plans to focus on who they are, where they come from, and where they are heading.

Professor Kay Wilhelm is Professor of Psychiatry at University of Notre Dame Sydney, Conjoint Professor in Psychiatry and Mental Health UNSW and Consultant in Liaison Psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital. She was a Member of NSW Medical Council for 14 years and Chair of Doctor’s Health Program for 12 and is now part of the Hearing Member Panel for the NSW Medical Council.  She is Chair, HETI Higher Education Governing Council and member of the Central and Eastern Sydney LDH Advisory Group of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health. 

She has previously been a member of the RANZCP Examinations Board and a consultant and researcher in the Mood Disorders Unit at Prince Henry Hospital, which developed into the Black Dog Institute. Over this time, she carried out a seminal 30-year longitudinal study looking at gender differences of wellbeing (The Sydney Teachers’ Study). She has been awarded Founders’ Medal, from Australasian Society of Psychiatric Research; the RANZCP College Citation and NSW Branch’s Meritorious Service Award and is a Member of the Order of Australia. These awards were in recognition of services in depression management, suicide prevention, doctors’ health, professional education and service to the profession.

Dr Padmini Howpage, a consultant psychiatrist based in Sydney, is an author, mentor, community leader, philanthropist and chair of the Mind Connections Foundation, a registered charity. 

She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness, now steering the Mind Connections Foundation, an ACNC-registered charity providing vital programs to the vulnerable. As the founding chair of Women's Shed - Hills Shire and a former founding chair of the Positive Vibes Foundation, Dr Howpage's influence extends beyond psychiatry. Collaborating with her husband, Daya, she initiated an annual scholar award for medical students promoting mental health awareness. 

Dr Howpage's literary contributions include "Mindful Coco" for children and "7 Magic Minutes for Today" for adults, reflecting her commitment to diverse audiences. Her philanthropy hasn't gone unnoticed, earning her the 'Woman of the West 2019' award from Western Sydney University and nominations as a Citizen of the Year finalist by the Hills Shire Council in 2020 and 2022.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

"Sheroes in Psychiatry" is an initiative of the Women in Psychiatry (WIP group). Sairee Chahal coined SHEROES in 1999 to denote "woman entrepreneur." WIP group selected the term "Sheroes" as a fitting term for every FRANZCP woman psychiatrist. By doing this podcast series, WIP aims to support and celebrate the work of Women psychiatrists. Their mission is to share the unique stories of this extraordinary group of women with the audience. The podcast plans to focus on who they are, where they come from, and where they are heading.

Professor Colleen Loo, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute. She is an internationally recognised clinical expert and researcher in the field of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and ketamine. She led the first Australian RCTs of these interventions in depression. She has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and invited plenary and symposium speakers at national and international conferences. Expert adviser on policy and practice to Australian government health departments and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). Established professional training courses for psychiatrists and mental health clinicians in ECT, TMS, tDCS and ketamine.

Dr Padmini Howpage, a consultant psychiatrist based in Sydney, is an author, mentor, community leader and philanthropist. She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness and is the chair of the Mind Connections Foundation, a registered charity. 

She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness, now steering the Mind Connections Foundation, an ACNC-registered charity providing vital programs to the vulnerable. As the founding chair of Women's Shed - Hills Shire and a former founding chair of the Positive Vibes Foundation, Dr Howpage's influence extends beyond psychiatry. Collaborating with her husband, Daya, she initiated an annual scholar award for medical students promoting mental health awareness. 

Dr Howpage's literary contributions include "Mindful Coco" for children and "7 Magic Minutes for Today" for adults, reflecting her commitment to diverse audiences. Her philanthropy hasn't gone unnoticed, earning her the 'Woman of the West 2019' award from Western Sydney University and nominations as a Citizen of the Year finalist by the Hills Shire Council in 2020 and 2022.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

"Sheroes in Psychiatry" is an initiative of the Women in Psychiatry (WIP group). Sairee Chahal coined SHEROES in 1999 to denote "woman entrepreneur." WIP group selected the term "Sheroes" as a fitting term for every FRANZCP woman psychiatrist. By doing this podcast series, WIP aims to support and celebrate the work of Women psychiatrists. Their mission is to share the unique stories of this extraordinary group of women with the audience. The podcast plans to focus on who they are, where they come from, and where they are heading.

A/Prof Carolyn Quadrio is well known for her work in women’s mental health and for introducing a feminist and gender analysis to mainstream psychiatry in Australia with her research on women in psychiatry - as patients and as practitioners and as victims of therapist abuse. In the forensic field, she is well known for her work on the abuse of children in religious institutions, the long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse, and psychiatric issues in domestic violence, including situations of domestic homicide.   

Dr Padmini Howpage, a consultant psychiatrist based in Sydney, is an author, mentor, community leader and philanthropist. She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness and is the chair of the Mind Connections Foundation, a registered charity. 

She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness, now steering the Mind Connections Foundation, an ACNC-registered charity providing vital programs to the vulnerable. As the founding chair of Women's Shed - Hills Shire and a former founding chair of the Positive Vibes Foundation, Dr Howpage's influence extends beyond psychiatry. Collaborating with her husband, Daya, she initiated an annual scholar award for medical students promoting mental health awareness. 

Her career, spanning both public and private sectors, showcases her versatility in senior clinical, administrative, and academic positions. Dr Howpage's literary contributions include "Mindful Coco" for children and "7 Magic Minutes for Today" for adults, reflecting her commitment to diverse audiences. Her philanthropy hasn't gone unnoticed, earning her the 'Woman of the West 2019' award from Western Sydney University and nominations as a Citizen of the Year finalist by the Hills Shire Council in 2020 and 2022. 

Dr Howpage leaves an indelible mark in every facet of her journey, a compassionate force reshaping mental health advocacy. Her accolades and initiatives underscore a career dedicated to transforming lives and eradicating the barriers that surround mental illness and well-being.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

"Sheroes in Psychiatry" is an initiative of the Women in Psychiatry (WIP group). Sairee Chahal coined SHEROES in 1999 to denote "woman entrepreneur." WIP group selected the term "Sheroes" as a fitting term for every FRANZCP woman psychiatrist. By doing this podcast series, WIP aims to support and celebrate the work of Women psychiatrists. Their mission is to share the unique stories of this extraordinary group of women with the audience. The podcast plans to focus on who they are, where they come from, and where they are heading.

A/Prof Melanie Turner is an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and works as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice in South Australia.  Mel is also an elected board director on the RANZCP Board, is the presiding member of the voluntary assisted dying review board in South Australia as well as a Member of the Medical Board of South Australia and a director on the board of Mental Health Australia.

Dr Padmini Howpage, a consultant psychiatrist based in Sydney, is an author, mentor, community leader and philanthropist. She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness and is the chair of the Mind Connections Foundation, a registered charity. 

She has fervently worked to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness, now steering the Mind Connections Foundation, an ACNC-registered charity providing vital programs to the vulnerable. As the founding chair of Women's Shed - Hills Shire and a former founding chair of the Positive Vibes Foundation, Dr Howpage's influence extends beyond psychiatry. Collaborating with her husband, Daya, she initiated an annual scholar award for medical students promoting mental health awareness. 

Her career, spanning both public and private sectors, showcases her versatility in senior clinical, administrative, and academic positions. Dr Howpage's literary contributions include "Mindful Coco" for children and "7 Magic Minutes for Today" for adults, reflecting her commitment to diverse audiences. Her philanthropy hasn't gone unnoticed, earning her the 'Woman of the West 2019' award from Western Sydney University and nominations as a Citizen of the Year finalist by the Hills Shire Council in 2020 and 2022. 

Dr Howpage leaves an indelible mark in every facet of her journey, a compassionate force reshaping mental health advocacy. Her accolades and initiatives underscore a career dedicated to transforming lives and eradicating the barriers that surround mental illness and well-being. 

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics.  The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement.  By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.