The Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast

In this episode of Children's Mental Health Listen Up, hosts Dr Elaine Lockhart and Dr Asilay Seker are joined by Dr Jose Mediavilla, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist to explore anxiety in children and young people.

Jose explains the difference between everyday anxiety and a clinical anxiety disorder, how diagnosis works, and the stepped approach to treatment, from psychoeducation through to CBT and, where needed, medication. He also shares practical guidance for parents and teachers on spotting the signs, avoiding common pitfalls, and supporting a child's recovery both in and out of the clinic.

The episode also features an interview, a young person who shares his own experience of living with generalised anxiety disorder, and what helped him manage it.

Finally, Professor Ian Kelleher previews the upcoming Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Faculty Conference, taking place in London this September.

In this special episode, Dr Leah B. Henen leads a gentle guided meditation designed to help you reconnect with your body and find a sense of containment, even in the middle of a hectic day. Through simple, grounding techniques, this practice supports greater self-awareness and offers practical tools for managing stress.

In this episode of Children's Mental Health: Listen Up!, hosts Dr Elaine Lockhart and Dr Asilay Sekar are joined by Dr Guy Northover, Chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, to explore psychosis in children and young people.

Dr Northover unpacks what psychosis actually is, how it differs from the way the word gets used in everyday speech, and the signs that parents, teachers and carers might notice, and how it affects thoughts and perception. He talks through diagnosis, investigations, and the biopsychosocial approach to treatment, including medication, family therapy and the role of early intervention teams, before busting some of the most persistent myths around psychosis and schizophrenia.

The episode closes with a conversation between Dr Northover and a young person with lived experience of psychosis and bipolar disorder, on what it felt like to become unwell, how treatment helped find stability, and what he’d want other young people going through the same thing to know.

This episode explores a core priority of the UK’s first Women’s Mental Health Strategy: implementing national initiatives that create lasting, systemic change.

We examine how this ambition aligns with the renewed Women’s Health Strategy, and what it means in practice for psychiatrists and the wider health workforce.

From tackling long‑standing gendered inequities in diagnosis, access and outcomes, to embedding women’s lived experience into policy and service design, the discussion sets out why a dedicated women’s mental health strategy is essential.

By focusing on prevention, trauma-informed, intersectional and life‑course approaches and cross‑system leadership, we consider how national foundations can transform care for women and girls across the UK.

Welcome to 'The Sublimation Exhibit', the new podcast from the Art and Psychiatry Special Interest Group (ARTSIG). This podcast explores the interface between the arts and psychiatry, exploring ideas around staying creative in mental health.

In Episode 2, Dr Alan Baban (RCPsych ARTSIG Chair) interviews Dr Glenn Roberts, the 'story gatherer' for the new book Personally Speaking, about his journey, the importance of stories and storytelling in mental health, and the publication of Personally Speaking: Stories from Psychiatrists.

In this episode of Children’s Mental Health: Listen Up! Dr Elaine Lockhart was live at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) conference in Manchester, and brought together two leading researchers to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing children and young people today.

Professor James Scott from the University of Brisbane presents findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, one of the largest and most detailed investigations into childhood abuse and neglect ever conducted. With data showing that 62% of Australian children experienced some form of maltreatment, he explains how the study was designed, what it found, and what it means for mental and physical health outcomes across the lifespan.

Professor Amy Orben then turns to the debate around social media and young people's mental health, examining what the evidence actually shows, how platform design shapes behaviour, and what promising interventions look like. She also discusses Australia's move to ban social media for under-16s, and why she believes removing access alone is unlikely to be enough.

Together, they offer a clear-eyed, evidence-based view of two issues that matter deeply to clinicians, parents, and policymakers alike.

For World Bipolar Day, Professor Sameer Jauhar speaks with Dr Clare Dolman, researcher at Edinburgh University and King's College London, about her personal experience of living with bipolar disorder and her research on bipolar and women's health.

This in-depth conversation explores the often-missed early signs of bipolar, the reality of mania and the profound impact of hormones on women's mental health, from the menstrual cycle through pregnancy and into perimenopause.

If anything in the podcast has resonated with you, or if you're seeking support, please visit: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/mental-illnesses-and-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder

We also produce a leaflet on bipolar disorder, written by psychiatrists and co-produced by patients and carers. It's free to read on our website, and if you're a practice or would prefer a physical copy, printed leaflets are available to order at https://store.rcpsych.ac.uk/products/bipolar-disorder-leaflet

Welcome to 'The Sublimation Exhibit', the new podcast from the Art and Psychiatry Special Interest Group (ARTSIG). This podcast explores the interface between the arts and psychiatry, exploring ideas around staying creative in mental health.

In Episode 1, Dr Monika Badhan (Communications Lead, ARTSIG) interviews Dr Adam Hines-Green (Artist-in-Residence, RCPsych) about his journey, the role the arts play in his practice, and the recent exhibition work done by the College.

In the fifth and final of our series of podcasts exploring ways in which we can help members to thrive in psychiatry, we speak to three psychiatrists about their career – what have been their career highlights, what barriers have they faced, and what more are they looking to achieve?

Our Presidential lead for Retention and Wellbeing, Dr Ananta Dave, interviews former RCPsych President Professor Dinesh Bhugra, Chair of RCPsych in Northern Ireland Dr Julie Anderson and Dr Gwen Adshead, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Author.

In this final part of our joint CAP and GAP conference specials which follows on from a session on climate change, nature, and sustainability in mental health; Dr Matthew Leahy discusses nature-based approaches for children’s mental health with Dr Katherine Kennet, who is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with a keen interest in social prescribing.