MQ Open Mind

James Gwinnett & Building Mental Resilience

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to endurance athlete and motivational speaker, James Gwinnett.

After a bad neck injury playing rugby, James developed depression due to his inactivity, which eventually included alcoholism.

Four years later, he found redemption in the form of fitness challenges, starting from running the London Marathon to taking part in Channel 4’s Special Forces training show SAS: Who Dares Wins.

In this conversation, they discussed recovering from addiction, using sport to improve your mental health, and building mental resilience.

Dr Ben Alderson-Day and the Feeling That Someone Is Behind You

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to associate professor in psychology at Durham University, Dr Ben Alderson-Day.

Ben’s research is broadly focused on mental health and neurodiversity. His current research is about “felt presence”, the sensation that someone is present without any sensory cues.

In this conversation, they discussed presence, the research behind hallucinations, and the fourth man phenomenon.

Dr Anne Duffy & Protecting Student Mental Health

In this episode, we spoke to Professor of Psychiatry at Queen’s University Kingston, and Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford, Dr Anne Duffy.

Anne has an extensive research background in understanding the development and early intervention of mental illness in young people. Her current research is focused on developing an international collaborative network of student mental health research called U-Flourish.

In this conversation, they discussed understanding bipolar disorder, supporting students' mental health, and whether mental illnesses can be genetic.

Tommy Lowther and Living With PTSD

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to Armed Forces veteran and CEO of Sporting Force, Tommy Lowther.  

Tommy served with the British Army and subsequently with the Metropolitan Police. During both careers, he experienced several traumatic events, causing him to be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In this conversation, they discussed the impact of trauma on mental health, using sports for rehabilitation, and understanding the importance of seeking help. 

You can learn more about Sporting Force here https://www.sportingforce.org/.

If you have been affected by any of the themes we have spoken about in today's episode, you can reach out to Help for Heroes (www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-help) or Rape Crisis (www.rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help). Details for both are in the show notes. You can also speak to the Samaritans (www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan) anytime by calling 116-123.

Flo Sharman and the Impact of Trauma on Mental Health

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to mental health campaigner and MQ ambassador Flo Sharman. 

At four months old, Flo had a life-saving operation which caused her to stay in the hospital for several months. At age eight, Flo had a sudden mental breakdown that temporarily caused her to go blind and be paralysed. Only years later, she discovered that this breakdown was due to the trauma she experienced early on in life.

In this fascinating conversation, they discussed the impact of trauma on mental health, finding the correct treatment that fits your needs, and how to support young people with mental illness.

Dr Rona Strawbridge & Manveer Sahota and the Link Between Physical and Mental Health

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to Dr Rona Strawbridge, a medical genetics research fellow at the University of Glasgow, and Manveer Sahota, an expert by lived experience and research participatory.

Rona joined the show on behalf of DATAMIND, a Health Data Research Hub and a global resource for Mental Health researchers. Recently, Rona and Manveer worked together on a study about the genetic link between mental illness and diabetes.

In this fascinating conversation, they spoke about the significance of creating inclusive research, the challenges of capturing mental health data, and the correlations between physical and mental health.

What Would You Want Mental Health Research to Answer? ft Gemma Styles, AJ & Curtis Pritchard and Linda Lusardi

This week we have dancers AJ & Curtis Pritchard, actress Linda Lusardi, and MQ ambassador and returning Open Mind guest Gemma Styles. 

In this episode, we discuss what questions we would like mental health research to answer, the importance of finding suitable treatment, and finding strength through diagnosis.

Prof Ann John and Utilising Mental Health Data

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to Professor of Public Health and Psychiatry at Swansea University, Ann John. Ann is the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of DATAMIND, a Health Data Research Hub and a global resource for Mental Health researchers. 

In this engaging conversation, they spoke about the importance of collaboration, the inequalities in support for those with a mental illness, and understanding how data is used in research. 

Revisiting the ’Gone Too Soon’ Webinar

In honour of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month,  this week, we’re re-releasing our Gone Too Soon webinar as a podcast episode. 

Hosted by MQ’s Bryony, the panel consisted of Professor Rory O’Connor, Dr Ruchika Gajwani, a clinical psychologist and MQ Fellow, and MQ ambassador Harry Corin.

In this discussion, they spoke about the current state of treatments and interventions, the misconceptions about suicide and how research may prevent more people from being gone too soon. 

Claire Eastham & Living With Panic Disorder

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to author and MQ ambassador Claire Eastham. Earlier this year, Claire released a book called ‘How I Learned to Live With Panic’, which explores anxiety and panic disorder whilst providing helpful knowledge on how to manage panic attacks.

In this inspiring conversation, they spoke about the difficulties with getting a diagnosis, learning how to understand your condition and how to support someone with panic disorder.