Piece of Mind: Mental Health & Psychiatry

Content warning: in this episode we’ll be discussing suicide. If this could be at all upsetting, please stop here and maybe give another episode a try. We’ve included links to resources and information below, if you’re looking for support at the moment. In this episode, we meet with Professor Tania Gergel and Professor Ian Jones to discuss the increased risk of suicide for people living with bipol...

On this episode, we’re chatting about how researchers at the NCMH have been investigating how memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills, also known as cognition, are impacted by mental illness, and how online tools can be used to treat more people.    Dr Amy Lynham is a researcher at the NCMH and has developed the Cardiff Online Cognitive Assessment, or CONCA, an online tool to a...

Psychosis can be a difficult thing to explain. It is a term used when people experience a ‘loss of touch’ with reality. Around 3% of people will have a psychotic episode during their lifetime.   Leading the discussion for us today is Maleeha, a member of the peer support group at Headroom Cardiff, who support young people in Wales that have experienced psychosis. Joining Maleeha are Bekah and...

Psychosis is when you perceive or interpret reality in a very different way from people around you, it may also be called a 'psychotic experience' or 'psychotic episode'. Psychosis often begins in young adulthood when a person is in their late teens to mid-20s. However, people can experience a psychotic episode at younger and older ages and as a part of many disorders and illnesses. For instance,...

Did you know that you have the option to guide mental health professionals in your treatment and care in case you become unwell? Advance Choice Documents (ACDs) give people living with mental illnesses an opportunity to state their wishes and instructions about their treatment and care during future episodes of illness. They give you a chance to make your voice heard in future mental healthcare de...

This podcast discusses the carefully controlled clinical use of MDMA in a therapeutic research setting with specially trained professionals. MDMA remains a class A illegal drug and recreational use can carry significant legal and health risks. Please do not try this at home. Recent research has found that MDMA-assisted therapy is a safe and effective intervention for severe post-traumatic str...

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 month...

In this episode of the Piece of Mind podcast, 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 difficult...

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. UKMinds is a new study from NCMH which aims to find the causes and triggers of mental ill-health and cognitive disorders, such as dementia. If you have expe...

In this episode of the Piece of Mind podcast, 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 learn more 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...

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. UKMinds is a new study from NCMH which aims to find the causes and triggers of...

In this episode of the Piece of Mind podcast, 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 dep...

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. How...

We're back and thrilled to be sitting down with Holly and Dave from the UKMinds project. UKMinds is a new study hosted by the National Centre for Mental Health which is looking to recruit thousands of volunteers to learn more about the causes of conditions like schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder and dementia. Take part today by registering your interest with UKMinds. Following his bipolar...

Schizophrenia is a contentious diagnosis and source of often heated debate across the various professions and stakeholders associated with mental health. Some argue that it has outlasted its usefulness as a single diagnosis and should instead be viewed as the extreme end of a 'psychosis spectrum disorder'. To unpick the issues, we're delighted to be joined by award-winning author Nathan Filer, who...

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK, and while it is usually diagnosed in childhood, some autistic people grow up without their condition being recognised until later in life. In this episode, we’re joined by Kat Williams, who was diagnosed as autistic when she was...

We’re delighted to be joined by Dr Sophie Legge and Dr Antonio Pardiñas for our latest minisode to discuss their latest research study. Sophie, Antonio and colleagues at Cardiff University’s MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics examined genetic data from more than 500 people of African descent taking clozapine, an anti-psychotic medication prescribed to people with treatment resis...

22q11.2 deletion syndrome, or 22q for short, is a genetic syndrome affecting between 1 in 2000 and 1 in 4000 people. There are a wide range of health issues associated with the syndrome, such as heart conditions and immune problems, palatal defects and speech delays. It can also cause developmental problems and learning disabilities, and increased risk of a range of mental health problems, includi...

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...

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, wh...

It's International Women's Day, and to mark the event we are celebrating women in science. In this minisode, our guest 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 MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, where Jasmine is doing her PhD in the area of Huntingto...

ADHD remains one of the most stigmatised mental health problems. In this episode, we're speaking to Zoe Piper, founder of ADHD Connections, about her experiences. We're also joined by Professor Anita Thapar CBE, Director of the neurodevelopmental disorders research at Cardiff University's MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, to discuss the latest research in this area. For links...

In this episode, Bozo is joined by RAF veteran Darren and Dr Neil Kitchiner, Director and Clinical Consultant Lead of Veterans NHS Wales to talk 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...

Our 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 postnata...