MQ Open Mind

Azeem Rafiq and the Impact of Racism on Mental Health

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to MQ ambassador and cricket star, Azeem Rafiq. Azeem played cricket professionally in England for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

In 2020, Azeem shared his experiences of racism and bullying at Yorkshire, which became a major media story in the United Kingdom.

In this riveting conversation, they spoke about racism in sport, having a winner’s mindset, and using religion to improve your mental health.

Visit MQMentalHealth.org to learn more about MQ and mental health research.

James Downs and Embracing Lived Experience in Research

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to MQ ambassador and yoga instructor, James Downs.

James is a member of the Gone Too Soon steering group, helping to shape the direction of MQ's next funding programme as an expert by experience. In this episode, we spoke about the prevalence of eating disorders, the inclusion of people with lived experience in research, and improving your mental health through yoga.

If you, or someone you know, is affected by an eating disorder, then please reach out for advice and support from one of the following organisations: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

https://eatingdisordersanonymous.org/

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

Amazin LeThi & Dr Jessica Schleider and Supporting LGBTQ+ Mental Health

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to athlete and LGBTQ+ advocate, Amazin LeThi, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Stonybrook University, Dr Jessica Schleider. In this episode, they spoke about supporting the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community, the importance of representation, and the impact of meaningful moments on your mental health.

 

Learn more here https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/home/

Leigh Timmis and Finding Your Purpose in Life

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to speaker and Guinness world record holder, Leigh Timmis. They spoke about self-improvement, finding your purpose, and breaking records.

 

https://www.mqmentalhealth.org/home/

Dr Alexandra Pitman and Identifying Loneliness

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to Associate Professor in Psychiatry at UCL and Consultant Psychiatrist at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Alexandra Pitman. They spoke about loneliness, the importance of inclusive research, and enjoying solitude.

Links to the topics mentioned in the episode:

- https://www.bespokementalhealth.co.uk/mental-health-awareness-week

- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/research/epidemiology-and-applied-clinical-research-department/loneliness-and-social-isolation

- https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=APITM02

- https://twitter.com/UCL_Loneliness/status/1511696881642000397

- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/research/epidemiology-and-applied-clinical-research-department/loneliness-and-social-isolation-26 

Gemma Styles and the Importance of Doing Good

In this episode, Professor Rory and Craig spoke to podcaster and journalist, Gemma Styles, to discuss doing good, the impact of social media on mental health, and raising money with sunglasses.

MQ Open Mind is back!

Join Professor Rory O'Connor and MQ's Craig Perryman in this rebooted version of the MQ Open Mind podcast! In today's episode, they discuss who they are and why they got into mental health research. 

Ep 12: Tackling the rise in self-harm among young people

[Trigger warning: podcast references suicide and self-harm]

Research suggests an increasing number of young people are self-harming – and more than half of them aren’t seeking help. It’s clear this issue is rising – but why? And what can we do about it? 

In this episode of MQ Open Mind, we talk to mental health campaigner Sian and researcher Ellen to try and get to the bottom of these questions.

Sian candidly shares her own experience of self-harm and explains why we must stop asking ‘how’ and start asking ‘why’ when it comes to speaking to people who are struggling. Through her research, Ellen’s doing exactly that. She tells us about her current project, the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm, and how it could one day become a valuable tool for clinicians to use during therapy.

Together, we discuss the most damaging myths surrounding self-harm, what it means to ‘recover’ and ways to find the best treatment for each person. Sian and Ellen also answer questions from MQ supporters about copycat behaviour and how best to approach someone you’re worried about. 

See the 'It's Okay to Talk About Self-Harm' leaflet Ellen references in this episode.

Ep 11: Can science tell us who's most likely to develop depression?

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses and currently affects 1 in 10 people in the UK. But what if science could tell us who’s most likely to develop depression? 

Researcher Helen and MQ ambassador John join host Hannah to explore this question in the latest episode of MQ Open Mind.

John first experienced depression age 5. Now 29, he describes what depression feels like for him, shares the ways he's learned to cope and questions the factors that might have made him more likely to experience depression. Helen is one of the lead researchers on MQ's IDEA project, which is using data from around the world to try and find the factors that put certain people at higher risk of depression. This could create a global tool to screen people for depression.

Together our guests debate if it would be a positive or negative experience to be told you're likely to develop depression, and question what support we need to have in place for this tool to really work. 

Ep 10: Social media and mental health: The facts behind the headlines

Social media: is it good or bad for our mental health? We’ve been swamped with headlines talking about how damaging platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are to young people’s wellbeing. But the fact is there’s a lack of research – and social media is constantly developing.

In this episode, we delve into these issues with James, a mental health campaigner with experience of OCD and eating disorders, and Amy, a researcher psychologist looking into the effects of social media and technology on human interaction and wellbeing.

Together we talk about the pros and cons of using social media, how we can make sure research keeps up with the ever-evolving social media platforms, the effects of screen time on young people and the possibility of regulating social media use in future.