The Mental Elf

Effective patient and public involvement (PPI) is crucial to conducting research that meets the needs and values of patients. In this podcast, we hear from a team of researchers and people with lived experience about getting involved in the AVATAR2 trial. This study is investigating the effects of digital avatar therapy in people with psychosis who hear voices. We hear about how PPI makes a difference, what getting involved entails, and how people with lived experience shaped the questions, methods, conduct and analysis of the trials.This podcast was created for the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network's Annual Scientific Meeting, 30th October 2023 in Glasgow.

Roslyn Morgan and Kate Charlesworth speak to Laura Hemming from The Mental Elf about their sessions at the Quality Forum in Melbourne in October 2023.Roslyn Morgan is the ANMF (Vic Branch) Environmental Health Officer and her talk at #Quality2023 in Melbourne is entitled: Workplace Sustainability and Environmental Reform, Be the change.Dr Kate Charlesworth is the Medical Director at the Climate Risk & Net Zero Unit, NSW Health.Find out more about the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30 Oct to 1 Nov 2023: https://internationalforum.bmj.com/melbourne/

Professor Daniel Smith from Edinburgh University gives a short overview of bipolar disorder, and introduces two studies he is working on to investigate the role of light, circadian rhythms and sleep in bipolar disorder, and their effect on the action of lithium as a treatment.This podcast is part of the Annual Scientific Meeting of NHS Research Scotland's Mental Health Network, which takes place on 30th October in Glasgow.Find out more about this event, which is free to attend, in person or online.

Simon Hackett sits down with Douglas Badenoch to discuss Arts Psychotherapy for people with Intellectual Disabilities.This recording was made as a preview to the Annual Scientific Meeting of NHS Research Scotland's Mental Health Network on 30th October 2023.Find out more about the event.

Claire Doherty and Jennie Hutton speak to Laura Hemming from The Mental Elf about their sessions at the Quality Forum in Melbourne in October 2023.Claire Doherty is Senior Research and Evaluation Officer at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne.Jennie Hutton is an Emergency Physician and Hon Senior Research Fellow at the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department.Find out more about the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30 Oct to 1 Nov 2023: https://internationalforum.bmj.com/melbourne/

Professor Bryn Lloyd Evans from UCL talks to Douglas Badenoch about his clinical work and research on loneliness and social prescribing in people with severe mental illness.Bryn will be presenting further details of his work at the #NRSMH23 Annual Scientific Meeting on 30 October 2023.Find out more information about the event

Bianca Forrester and Paresh Dawda speak to Laura Hemming from The Mental Elf about their sessions at the Quality Forum in Melbourne in October 2023.Bianca Forrester is a GP Academic at the Western Victoria Primary Health Network. Her talk at the Quality Forum in Melbourne is entitled: "Towards a regional primary care learning health system: from crisis response to resilience".Dr Paresh Dawda MB BS, DRCOG & DFRSH, FRCGP, FRACGP, is Adj Prof at the University of Canberra, and Adj Assoc Prof at UNSW - Prestantia Health. His talk at the Quality Forum in Melbourne is entitled: "Implementing age friendly health care systems in primary care for house bound people".Find out more about the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30 Oct to 1 Nov 2023: https://internationalforum.bmj.com/melbourne/

This audio documentary accompanies an online and in person photo exhibition, which details the experiences of diverse people detained under the Mental Health Act.Sixty people took part in the project led by Oxford University, and funded by the NIHR Policy Research Programme, which captured their reflections on the process of detention and life on a mental health ward.The majority (73%) of people who took part in this project were from racialised populations, who are disproportionately detained under the Mental Health Act.The exhibition includes pictures of locked doors, medication, hospitals but also outdoor spaces, nature and family.Key findings following the photovoice project included:Preventative care before detention was often considered ineffective with GPs not able to respond quickly enough, though some community nurses were considered supportive and helpfulThe process of being detained could feel threatening and disrespectful, even inhuman.There was a lack of clear information and explanation through detainment and on a ward, which could be confusing and distressingProfessionals who were part of detention and on wards could be hostile and even aggressive, with staff considered to be under-resourced and poorly trained.The ‘photovoice’ project involves participants being given cameras and taking pictures, before describing and discussing what they associate with those photos.Professor Kam Bhui said:"The findings bring to life the challenging experiences of those living with mental illness who find themselves receiving compulsory care in crisis. We also explore the quality of care, the importance of family involvement, the lack of therapeutic environments and activities on inpatient settings, and the neglected nature of how upsetting and traumatic being sectioned can be. The co-design data already show optimism about the proposed solutions from those with lived experience."The photovoice project is part of the Co-Pact research project in Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, which aims to improve the experiences of people detained under the Mental Health Act and reduce inequalities in the way the Act is used. Currently people from racialised populations are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than their white British counterparts, and tend to have worse experiences and outcomes.View the Co-PACT online photo exhibition.This study/project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme [NIHR201704]. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Catherine Crock and Chris Turner speak to Laura Hemming from The Mental Elf about their sessions at the Quality Forum in Melbourne in October 2023.ProfessorCatherine Crock AM is a Physician at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and Chair of the Hush Foundation and Gathering of Kindness. Her talk at the conference is entitled: "Kindness in action".Dr Chris Turner is a consultant in emergency medicine at University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire.Find out more about the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30 Oct to 1 Nov 2023: https://internationalforum.bmj.com/melbourne/