The Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast

We are discussing a paper, Did Alan Turing have Asperger's syndrome? (O'Connell, H., & Fitzgerald, M. 2003. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 20, 1, 28-31) co-written by Professor Michael Fitzgerald. Dr Fitzgerald poses the question of whether the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome could be attached to Alan Turing, the famous mathematician and code breaker who single-handedly may have shortened the war by 2 years. Alan Turing was recently pardoned following his conviction under laws of indecency. Controversy continues to surround whether Turing killed himself or was assassinated by the security services

Raj Persaud talks to Nick whose son developed some psychiatric difficulties

Amy Hagopian is an academic based at the University of Washington and is lead author of the very latest research paper trying to measure how many people have died in Iraq as a result of the conflict there. In this interview with Raj Persaud, Amy discusses how, given the mental and physical health implications of war, doctors and health workers should be campaigning against war. She also explains the methodology behind this kind of rigorous survey and why her results are so different from alternative sources of information such as the Iraq Body Count.

Marion Janner OBE, chief executive of Star Wards, talks to Dr Howard Ryland, associate editor of the RCPsych eNewsletter, about what inspired her to develop the project. She also discusses the role of animals in helping people with mental health problems, and the role of consultants on inpatient wards

Louise is a young mother who developed postnatal depression (PND) following the eventful birth of her first child. Here, she discusses with Raj Persaud her experiences, and what it was like to be admitted to a Mother and Baby Unit

Psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud talks to Dr Fiona Subotsky, an eminent Child and Adolescent UK Psychiatrist, with an interest in the History of Psychiatry and Honorary Archivist to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She has researched the famous 19th Century series of gruesome murders which were committed in the area surrounding the new location of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the East End of London. In particular, she has analysed a psychiatrist who became prominent for claiming to have diagnosed and identified Jack the Ripper

Kenny Johnston, Founder of the Counselling, Life Advice and Suicide Prevention charity, CLASP, talks to Dr Raj Persaud about how he set up the organisation after he twice tried, but failed, to take his own life.

This podcast asks the big question of what sustainability in mental health services looks like. It also addresses how clinicians can contribute to improving sustainability in their clinical work. Here, Dr Daniel Maughan, RCPsych Research Fellow in Sustainability, talks to Dr Charlotte Allan, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Old Age Psychiatry, Oxford Deanery

'Prisonomics – behind bars in Britain’s failing prisons’

Dr Raj Persaud is joined today by Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the government’s Economic Services, who’s recently written a book entitled ‘Prisonomics – behind bars in Britain’s failing prisons’. Here, Vicky outlines her experiences and observations of her recent spell behind bars.

Dr Chris Cantor a psychiatrist based at the University of Queensland, talks to Dr Raj Persaud about his recently published study of traumatic entrapment, appeasement and complex post-traumatic stress disorder: evolutionary perspectives of hostage reactions, domestic abuse and the Stockholm syndrome.