The Mental Elf

Depression is not one thing, and treating it as if it were may be why so many people don't get better. In this episode, Prof Brenda Penninx offers a sharper way to think about it. Recorded ahead of her guest lecture at the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) Summer Meeting, Brenda talks to André Tomlin (The Mental Elf) about "immuno-metabolic depression": the 20–30% of depressed patie...

Catherine Harmer, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford and outgoing president of the British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP), and Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire and incoming BAP president, discuss how BAP brings together non-clinical scientists, experimental medicine researchers, clinicians, and industry to translate discoveries into pat...

Oxford psychologist Dr Lucy Foulkes discusses myths and research around adolescent mental health ahead of her public lecture at the British Association of Psychopharmacology Conference (Sunday, 19 July). She critiques Keir Starmer’s proposal to ban social media for under-16s, arguing bans won’t remove risks, may reduce teens’ willingness to discuss online experiences, and ignore social media’s ben...

Five years of research. 14,000 students surveyed. Interventions tested. A whole-university framework developed. Now: what needs to change? In the final episode of the Nurture-U Podcast, researchers, university leaders and students reflect on what it will take to turn evidence into action. What are universities actually responsible for? How do we scale what works? And what do students need most? Th...

The Nurture-U Compassionate Campus framework identifies three pillars: culture, communication, and community. What does that mean in practice? How do mitigating circumstances systems end up failing the students who need them most? And is it really as simple as putting benches inside buildings? Three things universities can do right now: Trust your staff to exercise judgement, not just follow proto...

Evidence alone doesn't solve the student mental health crisis. The question is: what actually works?   Nurture-U tested three interventions. A mental health literacy course that protected students from the wellbeing dip across the academic year. Digital CBT that produced a surprising finding: guided and unguided versions were equally effective. And a rumination app that prevented depression i...

What does the largest longitudinal study of UK student mental health tell us about who struggles, what protects them, and where universities should focus?   Nurture-U surveyed 14,000 students across five universities over three academic years. The findings are clear and some are surprising. Half of students experience high levels of loneliness. Marginalised groups are most at risk. And the pr...

In the final episode of the ReSET Podcast, host André Tomlin from the Mental Elf explores the importance of mental health prevention in schools, featuring insights from Professor Peter Fonagy, Professor Essi Viding, Professor Jess Deighton, and Dr Ros Law. This episode emphasises the necessity of prevention over treatment, as optimal treatments can only reduce depression by a third. Key points inc...

Social Relationships and Mental Health in Adolescents - The Crucial Connection Episode 3 of the ReSET Podcast delves into the bidirectional relationship between social relationships and mental health in adolescents. Host André Tomlin from The Mental Elf, along with experts Pasco Fearon, Lucy Bowes, René Veenstra, and Ros Law, discuss why peer relationships are fundamental during adolescence, how t...

Emotional Skills in Adolescents - Preventing Mental Health Problems Episode 2 of the ReSET podcast focuses on the importance of emotional skills for adolescents and how these can prevent mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Host André Tomlin from The Mental Elf explores the key findings from this huge research project led by scientists from UCL and Cambridge, with panelists Professor...

Universal vs. Targeted Interventions: ReSETting Mental Health Support in Schools Episode 1 of the ReSET podcast focuses on the critical question: Should schools implement universal or targeted interventions to support young people's mental health? Host André Tomlin from The Mental Elf explores the key findings from this huge research project led by scientists from UCL and Cambridge, with panelists...

Exploring Power Imbalance, Systemic Racism, and Dialogue in Mental Health. A conversation with Maxine Dennis for the 2025 BIGSPD conference. Join André from The Mental Elf for episode three of the BIGSPD 2025 Podcast in conversation with Maxine Dennis, a consultant clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. They discuss power imbalance, systemic racism in mental health services, and the role of genu...

Relational Practice: making hope possible rather than despair convincing. Join André from The Mental Elf for episode two of the BIGSPD 2025 Podcast as he discusses relational practice and democratic mental health with Professor Mick McKeown. Mick is a mental health nurse academic who shares his insights on the intersection of sociology, philosophy, and politics in mental health. In this episode, y...

Exploring DBT: Techniques, Efficacy, and Lived Experience #BIGSPD25 Welcome to episode 1 of the BIGSPD 2025 podcast, hosted by André from the Mental Elf. This episode dives deep into Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) with guest experts Professor Michaela Swales, Programme Director at the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme, and Jenifer Dylan, an Advanced Lived Experience Practitioner and D...

In the final episode of the 2025 IoPPN Research Festival podcast, André from The Mental Elf welcomes Dr. Darren Williams from Kings College London to discuss the upcoming festival. Dr. Williams shares insights into the diverse range of topics and speakers that will be featured, including presentations on religious cognition, autism, and the transformative effects of AI in medicine. He also emphasi...

Welcome to episode 2 of the 2025 IoPPN Research Festival Podcast! In this episode, André from The Mental Elf speaks with Professor Juliet Foster, Professor of Social Psychology from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, where she is also the Dean of Education and academic lead for student mental health and wellbeing. Juliet is giving a keynote talk at t...

Welcome to the 2025 IoPPN Research Festival Podcast! In this first episode, we hear from Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, a leading expert in developmental psychology at King’s College London. He introduces RE-STAR—a four-year, interdisciplinary research programme. RE-STAR stands for Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience. It focuses on neurodivergent young people, such as those w...

The Mental Elf previews the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network Annual Scientific Meeting with Dr. Rob Waller, Consultant Psychiatrist from NHS Lothian. They discuss the rapid digital transformation in NHS mental health services triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the implementation of video consultations and electronic records in CAMHS. Dr. Waller shares his insights on overc...

Join Douglas Badenoch and Prof. Deborah Cairns from the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory as they delve into the health disparities faced by those with learning disabilities. In this podcast preview, Deborah shares groundbreaking research findings from comprehensive health checks, cancer studies, and big data analysis. Learn how collaborative efforts in the medical field are driving chang...

This Mental Elf podcast is part of the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network's Annual Scientific Meeting, 7th November 2024.  Host Douglas speaks with Dr. Veenu Gupta, Assistant Professor at Durham University, about the burgeoning role of the Lived Experience Workforce in mental health research. Dr. Gupta, who has personal experience with psychosis, shares insights into how lived experi...

As climate change accelerates, so does the mental distress it causes. In this episode, we interview Dr. Elizabeth Marks and Dr. Kris De Meyer to explore the critical intersection between mental health and climate change. We discuss eco-anxiety - the difficult emotions caused by direct or indirect exposure to climate change - and consider to what extent such emotions should be considered a clinical...

Welcome to the final episode of the British Association for Psychopharmacology 50th Anniversary Summer Meeting Podcast.  In this episode, Andre is joined by Professor Femi Oyebode from the University of Birmingham. They discuss a broad range of topics, from Anton Chekhov's novella 'Ward Number Six' to the future of psychedelic medicine in psychiatry.  Femi Oyebode shares insights on the...

Exploring Cosmetic Psychopharmacology with Professor Dan Stein | BAP2024 Podcast Episode 6 Welcome to episode six of the BAP 2024 Podcast! Join André from The Mental Elf as he interviews Professor Dan Stein from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. They discuss the intriguing topic of cosmetic psychopharmacology and its implications on cognitive and mood enhancement. Learn about the histor...

In episode four of the 2024 BIGSPD Podcast, André from The Mental Elf speaks with Anthony Bateman, a visiting professor at UCL and consultant at the Anna Freud Centre. Bateman discusses the concept of mentalizing, its role in human behavior, and the effectiveness of mentalization-based treatment (MBT) for conditions like borderline personality disorder and trauma. He explores the adaptability of M...

In this episode of the BIGSPD Podcast, host André interviews Mel Ball, the first board-level Director for Lived Experience in the NHS. Mel shares her journey from grassroots peer support to her current leadership role, highlighting the importance of lived experience in transforming NHS services. She discusses the cultural changes required for effective co-production and lived experience leadership...