MQ Open Mind MQ Mental Health Research

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to professor of developmental psychology at Kings College London, Louise Arseneault.  
Louise’s research focuses on the study of harmful behaviours such as violence and substance dependence, their developmental origins, their inter-connections with mental health, and their consequences for victims.
In this conversation, they discussed the importance of cross-collaboration, utilising health data, and how childhood bullying can affect you later on in life.

On the 5th of July, MQ launched the very first Research Appreciation Day. A day to celebrate the hard work of health researchers from all disciplines.
For this special episode of Open Mind, and in honour of Research Appreciation Day, here are the questions that our guests would love to be answered by mental health research.
Open Mind will return in the autumn, and we hope to see you again for more lived experience stories and more mental health research.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to Occupational Therapist, Jenny Okolo.
Jenny is a highly experienced lead psychiatric occupational therapist and a respected mental health advocate. She has a strong background in the criminal justice sector. Her main expertise lies in promoting workplace wellbeing, supporting mental health, and advocating for neurodiversity.
Jenny is also enthusiastic about productivity and utilizes her career platform, SASA, to provide accessible resources and inspire personal development.
In this conversation, they discussed empathy in the criminal justice sector, understanding neurodiversity, and ensuring well-being in the workplace.

In this episode, we spoke to Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester, Tony Pisani, Head of Development at MQ, Emily Wheeler, and founder of Into The Light and suicide researcher, Benny Prawira, to discuss MQ’s latest paper, Gone Too Soon.
The Gone Too Soon paper is a roadmap written by 40 global experts, mixing mental health researchers, clinicians, policy experts and people with lived and living experience of mental illnesses and suicide. Together these 40 global experts have outlined 18 evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, business leaders and health workers the world over.
In this conversation, we discuss why the paper was created, the desired outcomes, and why these recommendations are so important.

In this episode, Professor Rory O’Connor and Craig spoke to mental health activist and author, Dean Stott. After managing with an anxiety disorder for several years, Dean had the idea to start DLC Anxiety, an online community support group for people coping with anxiety. Since its inception in 2020, DLC Anxiety has amassed over 1.2 million members, providing helpful tips and advice from anxiety experts. In this conversation, they discussed supporting people with anxiety, the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder, and the benefits of using social media for your mental health.

In this episode, Professor Rory O'Connor and Craig spoke to academic psychologist and author, Dr Lucy Foulkes.
Lucy is currently a Prudence Trust Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, investigating how school-based mental health interventions may be causing adolescents harm.
In this conversation, they discussed supporting young people with their mental health, the importance of finding the appropriate treatment for your needs, and her book “What Mental Illness Really Is... (and what it isn’t)”.
You can buy Lucy's book here:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/452335/what-mental-illness-really-is-and-what-it-isnt-by-lucy-foulkes/9781529113372
Here are two of the research papers they discussed:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X2300003X
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-bulletin/article/do-no-harm-can-school-mental-health-interventions-cause-iatrogenic-harm/9F00E6568F642ECFA559815915F77B8C
Visit our website to learn more about mental health research www.MQMentalHealth.org