The Piece of Mind podcast began in 2017 and in the first season, we cover a wide range of mental health research topics.
Episode themes include:
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- postnatal depression
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- self-harm
- sleep disorders
- women in science
Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify, or listen to our episodes below.
– Episode 1: Postnatal depression
Host Bozo Lugonja is joined by the founder of My Discombobulated Brain, Laura Dernie, and NCMH Director Professor Ian Jones to talk about postnatal depression.
Laura shares her personal experience of postnatal depression and Ian speaks about current research into better understanding and treating postnatal depression. We finish on a look to the future – how can we reduce stigma around postnatal depression and encourage more women to ask for help?
Links and resources
- Will using anti-depressants in pregnancy harm my child?
- Learn more about mood disorders in pregnancy
- Support for women and families for postpartum psychosis
- PPD ACT
- My Discombobulated Brain
– Episode 2: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Royal Air Force veteran Darren and Dr Neil Kitchiner, director and clinical consultant lead of Veterans NHS Wales talk all things PTSD.
Darren shares his personal experience of PTSD following his time in the Royal Air Force, and Neil talks about different treatments available. We also discuss some of the pioneering research taking place at NCMH and Cardiff University, including 3MDR.
Research papers mentioned during this episode
- Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid substance use disorder (2016)
- Early psychological interventions to treat acute traumatic stress symptoms (2010)
- Multiple session early psychological interventions for the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (2009)
Links and resources
– Episode 3: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Professor Anita Thapar, who leads the neurodevelopmental disorders research theme at Cardiff University’s Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics is is joined by Zoe Piper, founder of ADHD Connections and an NCMH Research Champion.
Anita speaks about the achievements in ADHD research over the past decade and what inspired her to focus her research on ADHD, while Zoe discusses the impact stigma has on children with ADHD and their families.
Research papers mentioned during this episode
- ADHD report: A lifetime lost or a lifetime saved (PDF), referenced as Dr Tony Lloyd’s report.
- Discovery of the first genome-wide significant risk loci for ADHD, referenced by Anita as international collaboration led by colleagues in Denmark.
Links and resources
- Let’s talk about ADHD (animation)
- ADHD Foundation
- 10 things you didn’t know about ADHD (blog)
- Separating facts from fiction (video)
– Minisode: Women in science
It’s International Women’s Day, and to mark the event we are celebrating women in science. In this minisode, host Catrin Hopkins is joined by three scientists – Dr Adele Pryce-Roberts, Jasmine Donaldson and Rachel Pass.
Adele is an Alzheimer’s UK Clinical Research Fellow at the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics in Cardiff University, where Jasmine is doing her PhD in the area of Huntington’s disease.
Rachel is also a PhD student, based at Cardiff University’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, where she is investigating copy number variants and schizophrenia.
– Episode 4: Self-harm
The UK has the highest self-harm rate of any country in Europe, and it remains an issue people struggle to handle, talk about, and understand.
In this episode we discuss personal experiences of self-harm and coping techniques, the latest research in the field and misunderstanding and stigma can stop people who self-harm from seeking help.
We’re joined by Swansea University’s Professor Ann John, whose main research interest is self-harm, suicide and public health. Ann also chairs the National Advisory Group to Welsh Government on suicide an self-harm prevention.
Our second guest is Si, co-founder of Heads Above the Waves, a not-for-profit organisation that works with young people to promote positive, creative ways of dealing with bad days.
Research papers mentioned during this episode
- The good, the bad and the unknown: A systematic review of the relationship between internet use, self-harm and suicidal behaviour in young people.
- Self-harm and suicide in schools: What needs to be addressed for schools to implement prevention and provide effective intervention?
- School achievement as a predictor of depression and self-harm in adolescence – you will need to make a request to read the full paper.
Links and resources
- Heads Above the Waves
- Share UK
- CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably
- It’s a Man Thing – Cardiff and Swansea researchers hold event for men’s health day
- Black Mirror
- Junior – Si’s band
– Episode 5: Sleep, insomnia and mental health
Getting enough sleep is important for your health and happiness. Generally, if you sleep better you feel better. On the other hand, poor sleep can make you feel low and have a negative impact on your mood. But does poor sleep increase your chances of experiencing a mental health problem or is it a symptom?
In this episode we’re joined by Dr Ajay Thapar, a GP who recently travelled to the USA on a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship to learn more about insomnia and different treatments, and Dr Katie Lewis, whose work investigates the relationship between sleep disruption and mood disorders like bipolar and depression.
Research papers mentioned during this episode
- Improving management of sleep problems, Dr Ajay Thapar
Links and resources
- Sleep Council
- Sleepio
- National Sleep Foundation (USA)
- An Introduction to Coping with Insomnia and Sleep Problems
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