The Mental Elf

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 MBT across various disorders and emphasizes personalized treatment. The conversation also touches on the debate about the classification of personality disorders and the impact of trauma and loneliness on treatment outcomes.00:00 Introduction01:26 Meet Anthony Bateman: Background and Expertise01:53 Understanding Mentalizing03:28 Development and Importance of Mentalizing04:35 Impact of Early Trauma on Mentalizing07:24 Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) Explained11:09 Effectiveness and Adaptability of MBT16:35 Challenges and Considerations in MBT24:45 The Debate on Personality Disorder Labels27:27 Conclusion and Upcoming EventsBIGSPD is the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder and their annual conference takes place in Belfast on 18-20 June 2024. Find out more at: https://bigspd.org.uk/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/

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, and reflects on the broader systemic challenges and opportunities within the mental health sector. Mel also previews her upcoming keynote talk at the BIGSPD conference in Belfast, entitled 'The Wind and the Sun, A Fable of Lived Experience Leadership,' emphasising the moral and creative aspects of lived experience leadership.00:00 Introduction to the BIGSPD Podcast01:18 Meet Mel Ball: Director for Lived Experience04:00 The Journey of Lived Experience Leadership07:21 Roles and Responsibilities in the NHS09:41 Challenges and Reflections12:51 Future of Lived Experience Leadership20:17 Invitation to the BIGSPD Conference21:21 Closing RemarksBIGSPD is the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder and their annual conference takes place in Belfast on 18-20 June 2024. Find out more at: https://bigspd.org.uk/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/

In episode five of the BAP 2024 podcast, Professor David Nutt, a renowned psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist from Imperial College London, delves into the psychopharmacological aspects of alcohol. David Nutt is a past president of the British Association for Psychopharmacology and of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.Hosted by André from the Mental Elf, this episode touches on the history and effects of alcohol, its social role, and the development of safer functional alternatives like Sentia. Prof. Nutt also discusses the future of drug policies and the rational use of regulated substances, providing a compelling preview of his upcoming talk at the BAP summer meeting in July.00:00 Introduction to the BAP 2024 Podcast01:04 Meet Professor David Nutt02:14 Understanding Alcohol's Effects04:07 The Popularity and Social Role of Alcohol07:40 Exploring Alternatives to Alcohol13:32 Future of Drug Policy and Safe Alternatives17:15 Conclusion and Upcoming EventsFind out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

In this episode of the BAP Podcast, host André from the Mental Elf interviews Professor Barbara Franke, a molecular biologist from Radboud University in Nijmegen, about the complexities of ADHD. Franke discusses the genetic and environmental factors contributing to ADHD, the challenges of diagnosing the disorder in different populations, and the impact of societal views on ADHD. She emphasizes the need for integrated research and cross-disciplinary approaches, highlighting the importance of involving patients in the research process. Franke also addresses concerns about the neurodiversity movement and its potential implications for ADHD care and support. The episode covers key topics in ADHD research and sets the stage for more inclusive and comprehensive studies in the future.01:54 Understanding ADHD: Causes and Factors03:50 Genetics and ADHD05:01 Societal Perspectives on ADHD08:05 Underdiagnosis and Overdiagnosis of ADHD10:14 Future Directions in ADHD Research12:58 Challenges in Cross-Disciplinary Science13:48 Co-Production in ADHD Research16:15 Conclusion and Upcoming EpisodesFind out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

Welcome to the third and final episode of the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival podcast. Every year the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience hosts a 1 day festival that brings together a really diverse mix of mental health scientists, to present their work and learn from each other.The theme this year is Origins and New Beginnings. Alongside the keynote talks from Melanie Abas, Emily Simonoff and Edgar Jones, there will be 21 lightning talks from some of the institute's top researchers, staff and students.In this third podcast episode, we meet Melanie Amna Abas, Professor of Global Mental Health at King's College London. She's a psychiatric epidemiologist and a psychiatrist who cares for people in South London but also in Zimbabwe where she has worked clinically and as a researcher for many years. Her early research in Zimbabwe looked at the social origins of depression in women, and from there she has gone on to conduct interdisciplinary epidemiological research in other countries including Thailand, Moldova & Sri Lanka.Her talk at the festival focuses on Global mental health and the ambition to end HIV/AIDS. You can hear more from Prof Abas at the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival, taking place on 15th May 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ioppn-research-festival--tickets-856888826547?aff=oddtdtcreator

Sonia Johnson is Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry at UCL, Director of the NIHR Policy Research Unit for Mental Health, and a Consultant Psychiatrist who has worked for over 20 years in an Early Intervention Service for Psychosis. Episode 2 of the 2024 BIGSPD podcast.BIGSPD is the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder and their annual conference takes place in Belfast on 18-20 June 2024. Find out more at: https://bigspd.org.uk/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/

Welcome to episode 2 of the IoPPN Research Festival podcast. The festival takes place in South London on Wednesday 15th May 2024, and this year the theme is Origins and New Beginnings and there will be keynote talks from Melanie Abas, Emily Simonoff and Edgar Jones. We're focusing on origins in this second podcast episode, as we meet Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Medicine and Psychiatry at the IoPPN. He was awarded a Wellcome grant to explore the clinical and research blueprint of the Maudsley Hospital from its foundation in 1916 to the immediate post-1945 years. In this 15 minute podcast conversation with André Tomlin, we'll hear about the founding of the Maudsley at the beginning of the 20th century and the turbulent times through which this hospital grew. You can hear more from Prof Jones at the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival, taking place on 15th May 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ioppn-research-festival--tickets-856888826547?aff=oddtdtcreator

Welcome to a new episode of the BAP podcast. The British Association for Psychopharmacology are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2024. We'll be joining them in Birmingham for their annual summer meeting, which takes place from the 21st to the 24th of July.This episode of the podcast features three people who've been involved with BAP for many years:Anne Lingford-Hughes, Professor of Addiction Biology & Head of the Division of Psychiatry at Imperial College London,Belinda Lennox Professor of Psychiatry, Head of the University Department of Psychiatry in Oxford, and Bill Deakin, Emeritus Professor at the Division of Neuroscience at Manchester University, and also Past President of the BAP. Along with Allan Young, this group of incredibly knowledgable and experienced academic clinicians have been invited to run the closing session of the conference this year, entitled: the past and future of the BAP.Find out more about the BAP Summer Meeting and get your ticket now at: https://www.bap.org.uk/BAP2024

Professor Emily Simonoff is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN).In this podcast, she speaks to André Tomlin from the Mental Elf about the new King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People https://www.kingsmaudsley.orgYou can hear more from Prof Simonoff at the 2024 IoPPN Research Festival, taking place on 15th May 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ioppn-research-festival--tickets-856888826547?aff=oddtdtcreator