Piece of Mind – season 3

The third season of the Piece of Mind podcast returns with more episodes covering the latest research in the field of mental health.

Episode themes include:

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify, or listen to our episodes below.

– Minisode: Mental health and dementia research

We are thrilled to be sitting down with Holly and Dave from the UKMinds project.

Following his bipolar disorder diagnosis at 57, Dave volunteered with NCMH sharing his story and later became involved in the UKMinds team, helping to shape research by sharing his experience of bipolar as well as his skills from his background in project management. Read more about Dave’s experience on the NCMH website.

UKMinds was a study hosted by the National Centre for Mental Health which looked to recruit thousands of volunteers to learn more about the causes of conditions like schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder and dementia.

Please note recruitment for the UK Minds study has now closed.

– Episode 9: ADHD in women and girls

In this episode we’re joined by Dr Joanna Martin and Ellie, a non-binary young person, to discuss how research at Cardiff University is aiming to learn more about ADHD.

Ellie also kindly shares their experience of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, affecting around 1 in 20 young people.

However, in clinics only one girl will receive an ADHD diagnosis for every seven or eight boys.

This gap in diagnosis is something that Joanna is investigating in her research into ADHD in girls, young women, and non-binary people at Cardiff University.

Please note recruitment for young people, parents and carers, and healthcare professionals in this research has now closed.

– Episode 10: Getting young people involved in mental health research

We’re joined by co-director of the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health, Professor Frances Rice, and Catrin, a member of the Centre’s Young Person’s Advisory Group to discuss a new study for young people who have a parent with a history of depression.

The Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health has a focus on reducing anxiety and depression in young people, which includes finding ways to prevent depression in young people before it develops.

Please visit the Wolfson Centre’s website to learn more about the Skills for Adolescent WELLbeing (SWELL) study.

– Minisode: What’s it like taking part in mental health research?

Thinking about getting involved in mental health research? We caught up with Dave, one of our NCMH Research Champions, after he’d taken part in our UKMinds survey and provided a blood sample with NCMH Psychology Assistant Emily.

Dave and Emily take us through each part of the process to let you know what you can expect when taking part in a research study.

Please note recruitment for the UK Minds study has now closed.

– Episode 11: PMDD – the hidden link between hormones and mental health

In this episode we’re joined by Becci Smart and Chloe Apsey to discuss the reality of living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and the research currently taking place at the NCMH that’s looking to improve diagnosis and treatment.

PMDD is a mood disorder that is estimated to affect around 5% of women and people who have periods. That’s around 80,000 people in the UK.

During the week before the onset of bleeding (known as the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle), people with PMDD experience severe mood and emotional changes including anxiety and low mood, a decreased interest in their usual activities, difficulties concentrating and more. 

These symptoms improve within a few days after menstrual bleeding (the period). To be diagnosed with PMDD, these symptoms need to be associated with extreme distress and interfere with ‘everyday’ functioning.   

Links and resources

– Episode 12: How dementia research hopes to change lives

Thinking about getting involved in mental health research? We caught up with Sue, an Alzheimer’s Research UK Champion who has recently participated in our UK Minds research and George, a Senior Psychology Assistant working on the project.

Please note recruitment for the UK Minds study has now closed.

– Episode 13: Learning disability, autism, and support into work

We’re joined by Andrea Meek, Dr Elisa Vigna, and Gerraint Jones-Griffiths to discuss the Engage to Change project which has supported over 1,200 young people with a learning disability or autism into employment over the last eight years.

Engage to Change has worked across Wales since 2016 to support young people aged 16-25 who have a learning difficulty, learning disability, or autism to achieve their full potential. The project has worked with over 1,200 young people to offer job placements, supported internships, and job coach support over a seven year period.

Engage to Change is now in its ‘Influencing and Informing’ phase, taking forward the research and legacy work of the project to ensure it impacts policy and practise in Wales. The project is funded by the Lottery Community Fund in partnership with Welsh Government.

Links and resources

– Episode 14: Recognising complex PTSD

In this episode we’re joined by Professor Jon Bisson and Michael Davitt to discuss lived experience of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the ongoing research looking into the diagnosis at the NCMH.

PTSD is the name given to a set of symptoms that some people develop after experiencing major traumatic events. The traumatic event can be a single incident or take place over many months or years. Up to one third of people who have experienced a traumatic event develop some PTSD symptoms. Studies estimate that around 7% of people will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives.

Complex PTSD is a condition where you experience the same symptoms of PTSD, along with some additional symptoms such as feeling very angry or distrustful towards the world, as well many more.

Links and resources

Get involved with the NCMH traumatic stress research group: ncmh-trials@cardiff.ac.uk