The Royal College of Psychiatrists Podcast

The World Health Organization (WHO) characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and countries around the world are putting measures in place to combat the spread of coronavirus. How do psychological factors influence the spread of pandemic infection and the associated emotional distress and social disruption?

In this podcast, Dr Raj Persaud talks to Professor Steven Taylor about his recently published book offering a comprehensive analysis of the psychology of pandemics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people around the world to enter a period of quarantine, but what outcome will this have on our mental health and how can we help to reduce the psychological impact? In this podcast, Professor Neil Greenberg talks to Dr Raj Persaud about how to cope with quarantine and the surprising findings of the latest psychological research on the mental effects of quarantine, as recently published by a group of mental health experts including Professor Greenberg in The Lancet – 'The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence'.

Surviving the trauma of COVID-19: what does the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its treatment tell us about how to cope with the current pandemic? In this podcast, Professor Jonathan Bisson talks to Dr Raj Persaud about PTSD and the notion of ‘trauma’ in the context of COVID-19, including the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and evidence-based effective pharmacological and psychological approaches for its treatment and management.

Isolation and loneliness are part of the mental health fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine – but what are the most effective responses to this? Is there a 'social cure'? In this podcast, Professor Catherine Haslam discusses her research into the many health benefits of social integration, as detailed in her latest book 'The New Psychology of Health', and outlines how clinicians can support their patients in this important area.

Psychiatrists are used to dealing with ethical issues in daily practice, but COVID-19 has pushed many into unfamiliar territory and challenged us with new ethical dilemmas. In this podcast, Dr Steve Pearce and Dr Jacinta Tan talk to CPD Online Trainee Editor Dr Jennifer Powell about ethical considerations arising from COVID-19, including equity of access to services, personal and collective needs around prevention and treatment, potential changes to the Mental Health Act, risks and benefits of remote working and where to find support when confronted with COVID-19-related ethical dilemmas

Over half (57%) of child and adolescent psychiatrists surveyed in England are seeing children and young people distressed about the climate crisis and the state of the environment, according to a new survey from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Global warming, events like floods, fires or drought and harm to animals as a result of habitat destruction are affecting the mental health of younger generations, who now face even more uncertainty about their future because of the pandemic.

The wide range of emotions and thoughts young people may experience when they hear bad news about our planet and the environment is called eco distress – also known as eco-anxiety.

Dr Catriona Mellor, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and member of our Sustainability Committee, joined two young people for a conversation about eco-distress and the impact of the climate crisis on our mental wellbeing.

During this period of social distancing it is more important than ever for mental health clinicians to engage with their patients. Many are feeling anxious, stressed and lonely, while those with existing mental ill-health may be even more vulnerable. So now that we cannot, in most cases, hold face-to-face consultations, how can we continue to treat patients remotely?

Here, Dr Isobel Heyman talks to Dr Raj Persaud about the current evidence base for remote working, and provides some practical advice on the ways in which clinicians can stay ‘remote, but not distant’.

Now more than ever, there’s a need for effective leadership to guide healthcare teams and societies across the world through the COVID-19 pandemic. But how do you define good leadership and how can this be measured?

In this podcast, leadership expert Professor Alexander Haslam discusses the surprising psychology of what makes a truly great leader, the importance of a group identity, and how to lead a team at a time of crisis.

Albert’s Camus’s famous 1947 novel ‘The Plague’ has now come to the attention of a new generation of readers – those who draw parallels between Camus’s depictions of disease-ridden Algeria and the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently living through. It is the story of placid everyday lives that are suddenly, brutally disrupted by a virus: an existential reminder of the arbitrariness of life and the certainty and randomness of death. In this podcast, Dr Raj Persaud talks to the author of ‘A Very Short Introduction’ to Camus, Dr Oliver Gloag, about the impact this writer could have on our outlook and behaviour during these challenging times.

Alcohol withdrawal is a process that should be managed carefully and gradually. But this can be challenging in psychiatric in-patient units where patients may already have severe withdrawal symptoms when they arrive, or may later present with withdrawal symptoms having been admitted for a separate condition. In this podcast, Dr Chris Daly talks to Dr Howard Ryland about the most effective assessment, treatment and ongoing management procedures to put in place in order to help patients withdraw from alcohol safely.