The Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast

Our lead author on the College’s sustainability position statement, Dr Katherine Kennet, joins us to discuss the importance of integrating the natural world with more traditional therapy and how she would encourage other mental health professionals to use ecotherapy.

In episode one we will be talking to Michelle, who lived with anxiety and depression for over two decades and recently got involved with a Wildlife Trust in Lancashire called MyPlace.

MyPlace helps to empower individuals and local communities to connect with their environments and learn new skills. We discuss ecotherapy, peer to peer support and the joys of dog walking.

What is it like to be diagnosed with autism later on in your adult life? Two women describe their experience with autism, from misdiagnosis to social expectations and camouflaging. We are also joined by Dr Laura Checkley, who works in the City and Hackney Autism Service.

For more information on autism, please take a look at our resources: www.rcpsych.ac.uk/members/special-interest-groups/neurodevelopmental-psychiatry/resources

Adolescents who self-harm represent a significant challenge to professionals, with around 1 in 10 young people thought to be engaging in self-harming behaviour. As self-harm is not a diagnosis in itself, to be effective the doctor is required to conduct a thorough assessment and to formulate a psychosocial management plan that will include the mitigation of risk. In this podcast, Dr Alison Wood, Dr Gemma Trainor and Dr Justine Rothwell talk to CPD Online Trainee Editor Dr Jennifer Powell about the ways to approach the assessment and treatment of young people who self-harm.

The ongoing impact of COVID-19 on global mental health is widely acknowledged, and women in the perinatal period may be particularly vulnerable to related mental health problems. In this podcast, Dr Liz Rose and Dr Mano Manoharan talk to CPDO Trainee Editor Dr Jennifer Powell about the effect the pandemic has had on the mental health of this group, highlighting recent case examples from a busy and diverse perinatal psychiatry service.

Dr Beena Rajkumar hosts Dr Jo Talbot Bowen, Dr Ruth Reed, Dr Philippa Greenfield and Dr Julia Barber on the 25th anniversary of the Women and Mental Health Special Interest Group. These incredible women discuss the progress made for and by women in psychiatry and the challenges that many have overcome.

Dr Jane Morris hears a young man discuss his binge eating disorder and reflects on the feelings of powerlessness, guilt and shame surrounding eating disorders. And a mother tells us about her experience of anorexia nervosa during pregnancy, how health services responded, and what life is like now.

How can we take positive and practical steps to make mental health services better for the LGBT+ community? We speak to Dr Elliott Carthy, a psychiatrist and YouTuber who creates content on mental illness and popular TV programmes. We also speak to Cole, a transgender man who will be sharing his experience of psychosis and his thoughts on the performativity surrounding gender and mental health services.

We are joined by Dr Amar Shah and Rachel Luby to discuss the statistics, safety and stigma surrounding sexual harm. A report published by the Care Quality Commission found there were 1,120 instances of sexual harm on mental health wards. In response to the CQC report, The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, commissioned by NHS England, created guidance to improve sexual safety in inpatient settings. Dr Amar and Rachel will be letting us know what the next steps are.

For more information see the Sexual Safety Collaborative www.rcpsych.ac.uk/improving-care/nccmh/sexual-safety-collaborative

We are joined by two consultant psychiatrists, Dr Ken Courtenay and Dr Eleanor Brewster to discuss the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Ken and Eleanor consider what we can do as a society to create a world that is more beneficial for people living with visible and invisible disabilities.