The Mental Elf

Professor Eileen Joyce and Professor Trevor Robbins, two of her closest colleagues and former PhD students, join André Tomlin to remember Professor Susan (Sue) Iversen (1940–2025), the scientist who fused psychopharmacology and neuropsychology and helped found the field of neuropsychopharmacology.

Sue supervised both Eileen's and Trevor's PhDs at Cambridge in the 1970s, went on to lead Behavioural Pharmacology at Merck, became Head of the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford, served as President of the BAP (1996–98), and was made a CBE for services to medical research. In this conversation, Eileen and Trevor talk about how Sue shaped their science and their careers: her dopamine research, her influence on the dopamine-prefrontal cortex framework, and her mentorship of a generation of scientists, many of them women.

This conversation previews "Remembering Sue Iversen and her contribution to Psychopharmacology," a special session at the BAP Summer Meeting, 19–22 July 2026, University of Birmingham. Full session details: https://bap.org.uk/summersessiondetails.php?meetingID=19&sessionID=790

Guests: Professor Eileen Joyce, Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Queen Square UCL Institute of Neurology. Professor Trevor Robbins CBE, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge.

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wLpNVZYLTzw

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Depression is not one thing, and treating it as if it were may be why so many people don't get better. In this episode, Prof Brenda Penninx offers a sharper way to think about it.

Recorded ahead of her guest lecture at the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) Summer Meeting, Brenda talks to André Tomlin (The Mental Elf) about "immuno-metabolic depression": the 20–30% of depressed patients who show low-grade inflammation and metabolic dysregulation, clustered with atypical, energy-related symptoms such as fatigue, oversleeping, increased appetite and leaden paralysis. Drawing on the large Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), she explains why these patients respond slightly less well to standard antidepressants, and why that matters.

00:00 Meet Brenda Penninx

01:03 Why Depression Varies

03:03 Defining Immunometabolic Depression

04:11 Cause or Vicious Cycle

05:56 Treatment Targets and Trials

07:41 Proof of Concept IL6 Study

10:26 Lifestyle as Medicine

13:19 From Concept to Clinic

15:11 Mind Body Care Gap

16:29 Conference Takeaways

Is the biology a cause or a consequence of depression? Neither, Brenda argues: it's a vicious cycle, with common roots in genetics, lifestyle and childhood adversity. She discusses what this means for treatment (anti-inflammatory drugs, metabolic and lifestyle interventions) and why the key is targeting the right subgroup rather than the whole depressed population. She reflects on the recent Bristol tocilizumab proof-of-concept trial (Foley & Khandaker, JAMA Psychiatry), the Wellcome-funded ASPIRE project bringing these trials together, and why running therapy should be treated as a genuine, supported intervention rather than a slogan.

Finally, the conversation turns to what still stands between concept and clinic (how to identify the right patients, which intervention to choose) and Brenda's wish to bring mental and physical healthcare back together.

About the guest: Prof Brenda Penninx is Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology at Amsterdam UMC / Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and lead of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

Find out more about Brenda Penninx's talk at the 2026 BAP Summer Meeting: https://www.bap.org.uk/summersessiondetails.php?meetingID=19&sessionID=740

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catherine Harmer, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford and outgoing president of the British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP), and Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire and incoming BAP president, discuss how BAP brings together non-clinical scientists, experimental medicine researchers, clinicians, and industry to translate discoveries into patient care.

They explore growing involvement of people with lived experience through a panel shaping council work and the summer meeting, and the need to balance professional and lived-experience perspectives. Fineberg highlights BAP’s evidence-based guidelines, aimed at improving patient outcomes via clinician uptake, and plans to strengthen dissemination through NHS engagement, accessible formats, training, and webinars. They also address support for early career researchers and pipeline challenges, strategy implementation during the presidential handover, and how global stressors and emerging digital and genetic data may reshape mental health research and precision medicine.

00:00 Meet the Presidents

00:55 What BAP Does

01:17 Bridging Lab to Clinic

02:47 Lived Experience Voices

06:08 BAP Guidelines Explained

07:03 Getting Guidance to Clinics

08:30 Supporting Early Careers

09:11 Pipeline Challenges

10:57 Handover and Strategy

12:39 Global Pressures and Hope

Find out more about the 2026 Summer Meeting of the British Association of Psychopharmacology to be held at the University of Birmingham, 19th-22nd July. https://www.bap.org.uk/summermeetinghome.php?meetingID=19

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oxford psychologist Dr Lucy Foulkes discusses myths and research around adolescent mental health ahead of her public lecture at the British Association of Psychopharmacology Conference (Sunday, 19 July).

She critiques Keir Starmer’s proposal to ban social media for under-16s, arguing bans won’t remove risks, may reduce teens’ willingness to discuss online experiences, and ignore social media’s benefits, especially for marginalised or isolated young people; she supports stronger regulation to make platforms safer.

Foulkes explains her “prevalence inflation” hypothesis: rising reported mental health problems may reflect better recognition, broadened definitions that pathologise normal distress, and a possible third pathway where exposure to mental health content can increase anxiety (including new evidence from Instagram posts, akin to a nocebo effect).

She addresses self-diagnosis as often understandable and frequently accurate, but warns of “concept creep,” shifting meanings, and potential trivialisation that can obscure severe illness, and she emphasizes listening to young people while exploring their reasons and needs.

00:00 Meet Lucy Foulkes

01:00 Social Media Ban Reaction

02:26 Regulation Over Bans

03:29 Benefits and Teen Agency

05:49 Mental Health Awareness Myths

06:18 Prevalence Inflation Explained

09:01 Nocebo and Lessons Backfire

12:00 Why Self Diagnosis Is Rising

15:20 Concept Creep and Costs

17:25 How Clinicians Should Respond

19:40 Next Research Questions

21:18 Public Lecture Invitation

You can watch Dr Foulke's Public lecture on Adolescent mental health: The truth behind the headlines in person or online on 19th July 2026, 17:30 – 19:00. It's part of the BAP Summer Meeting. More details online: https://www.bap.org.uk/summersessiondetails.php?meetingID=19&sessionID=743

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years of research. 14,000 students surveyed. Interventions tested. A whole-university framework developed. Now: what needs to change?

In the final episode of the Nurture-U Podcast, researchers, university leaders and students reflect on what it will take to turn evidence into action. What are universities actually responsible for? How do we scale what works? And what do students need most?

Three things universities can do right now:

1. Lead from the top — make student mental health a board-level priority, not just a departmental one
2. Prevention, prevention, prevention — build mental health literacy into induction and the curriculum
3. Work with students — if it doesn't meet their needs, you are wasting your time

Featuring Professor Ed Watkins (Nurture-U PI, University of Exeter), Professor Sir Steve West (Vice Chancellor, UWE), Dr Jane Harris (University of Oxford), Kate Wicklow (GuildHE), Yanting Sun and Rida Ali. Presented by André Tomlin, The Mental Elf.

Find all four episodes and access all Nurture-U resources at https://www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk

Nurture-U is funded by the Medical Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the Economic and Social Research Council.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Nurture-U Compassionate Campus framework identifies three pillars: culture, communication, and community. What does that mean in practice? How do mitigating circumstances systems end up failing the students who need them most? And is it really as simple as putting benches inside buildings?

Three things universities can do right now:

1. Trust your staff to exercise judgement, not just follow protocols
2. Audit your communication: simplify ruthlessly and reduce barriers
3. Invest in community: fund student societies, open more grants

Featuring Dr Nicola Byrom (King's College London), Gareth Hughes (Student Minds), Dr Neil Armstrong (SOAS University of London) and Audrey Fok (University of Exeter). Presented by André Tomlin, The Mental Elf.

Find out more and access all Nurture-U resources at https://www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk

Sign up for the Nurture-U webinar on June 15th: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-universities-can-do-about-student-mental-health-nurture-u-webinar-tickets-1990175904705?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Nurture-U is funded by the Medical Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the Economic and Social Research Council.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evidence alone doesn't solve the student mental health crisis. The question is: what actually works?

Nurture-U tested three interventions. A mental health literacy course that protected students from the wellbeing dip across the academic year. Digital CBT that produced a surprising finding: guided and unguided versions were equally effective. And a rumination app that prevented depression in students who overthink, with benefits maintained at 12 months.

In this episode, Douglas Badenoch talks to the researchers and practitioners who designed, delivered and evaluated these interventions. They explore what the evidence shows, why prevention remains chronically underfunded, and what universities can do right now.

Speakers: Professor Ed Watkins (Nurture-U PI, University of Exeter), Dr Lucy Robinson (Newcastle University), Dr Emma Broglia (University of Sheffield), Dr Dominique Thompson (Buzz Consulting, University of Bristol), Liam Snaith, Elsa Saddler (Newcastle University) and Will Parman (University of Oxford).

Presented by Douglas Badenoch, The Mental Elf.

Find out more at https://www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk

Sign up for the Nurture-U webinar on June 15th: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-universities-can-do-about-student-mental-health-nurture-u-webinar-tickets-1990175904705?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the largest longitudinal study of UK student mental health tell us about who struggles, what protects them, and where universities should focus?

Nurture-U surveyed 14,000 students across five universities over three academic years. The findings are clear and some are surprising. Half of students experience high levels of loneliness. Marginalised groups are most at risk. And the protective factors that make the biggest difference aren't expensive or mysterious.

Featuring Professor Ed Watkins (Nurture-U PI, University of Exeter), Dr Jacks Bennett (Bristol Medical School), Otilia Puiu (UCL) and Audrey Fok (University of Exeter).

Find out more at https://www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk

Sign up for the Nurture-U webinar on June 15th: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-universities-can-do-about-student-mental-health-nurture-u-webinar-tickets-1990175904705?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of the ReSET Podcast, host André Tomlin from the Mental Elf explores the importance of mental health prevention in schools, featuring insights from Professor Peter Fonagy, Professor Essi Viding, Professor Jess Deighton, and Dr Ros Law.

This episode emphasises the necessity of prevention over treatment, as optimal treatments can only reduce depression by a third. Key points include the challenge schools face in implementing prevention strategies amidst numerous demands, the long-term benefits of prevention, and the need for sustainable, evidence-based approaches.

The episode concludes with actionable advice for schools to cut through ineffective interventions and focus on proven methods.

Join us to learn why prevention is not just a luxury, but an essential part of creating a conducive learning environment.

00:00 Introduction to the ReSET Project

00:57 Recap of Previous Episodes

01:21 The Importance of Prevention

01:29 The Challenges Schools Face

02:06 Implementing Prevention in Schools

03:56 The Role of Teachers

06:56 Evidence and Long-Term Benefits

10:32 The ReSET Project's Unique Approach

14:08 Practical Benefits for Schools

17:34 Building Trust and Partnerships

21:31 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

23:33 Conclusion and Call to Action

Find out more about the ReSET project at: https://resetproject.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social Relationships and Mental Health in Adolescents - The Crucial Connection

Episode 3 of the ReSET Podcast delves into the bidirectional relationship between social relationships and mental health in adolescents.

Host André Tomlin from The Mental Elf, along with experts Pasco Fearon, Lucy Bowes, René Veenstra, and Ros Law, discuss why peer relationships are fundamental during adolescence, how transitions like moving to secondary school impact dynamics, and the importance of both emotional and social skills.

The episode introduces the ME and WE strategies for personal and relational wellbeing and emphasises the importance of whole-school approaches and teacher support. Practical interventions and understanding peer dynamics are highlighted as key components to fostering a supportive environment for young people.

00:00 Introduction: The Link Between Mental Health and Relationships

00:57 Welcome to the ReSET Podcast

01:18 The Importance of Peer Relationships

01:54 Expert Insights on Adolescent Social Dynamics

04:12 The Critical Transition to Secondary School

07:19 The Healthy Context Paradox

10:59 ME and WE Strategies for Better Relationships

13:38 Practical Applications and Group Strategies

17:07 Whole School Approaches and Influential Students

22:47 Teacher Training and Support

25:04 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Find out more about the ReSET project at: https://resetproject.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.