Discussions in Tunbridge Wells

Psychologist Liz Spruin talks about dogs as supporters of vulnerable people in the justice system. Read more on the show page on our blog https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/my-lawyer-is-a-real-terrier

Some of our trainee clinical psychologists reflect on the experience of difference and what if means on the brink of qualification. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/reflecting-the-variety-of-life

Filmmaker John Richardson and Clinical Psychologist Anne Cooke on how we think about psychosis and schizophrenia. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/podcast-what-is-psychosis/

With the UK (possibly) on the cusp of Brexit John, Laura and guests consider the meaning of home for people from the EU who have settled in Britain. Find out more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/podcast-what-is-home/

This week the panel dive into the political jungle with help from two special guests. Read more on the show page https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/podcast-the-politics-of-mental-health.

John McGowan meets some trainee clinical psychologists who are just about to qualify. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/working-so-that-people-dont-need-us-anymore/

In this week's episode our own Dr Alex Hassett discusses how brain research may help us understand the teenagers in our lives. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/podcast-understanding-your-teenagers

Rachel Terry, Laura Lea, John McGowan and guests discuss two recent high profile publications on the subject of race in mental health. Read more on the show page on our blog https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/podcast-race-and-mental-health/

This week Anne Cooke, Rachel Terry and John McGowan, discuss whether there is a viable alternative to psychiatric diagnosis. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/working-so-that-people-dont-need-us-anymore/

This week's podcast features the recording of a talk about suicide prevention and the 'Zero Suicide' initiative. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/zero-suicide-an-idea-whose-time-has-not-and-should-not-come

In the run up to Christmas we discuss questions offered by listeners. Find out more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/ask-us-anything-podcast-christmas-special/

This week we interview Les Greenberg the founder of Emotion focused Therapy. Read more on the show page on our blog. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/understanding-emotion/

In this show we look at how professionals working in mental health relate to their own experiences of distress. Read more on the show page. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/can-mental-health-workers-be-service-users/

It’s not over till the Queen’s Speech (and maybe not even then) John McGowan, Angela Gilchrist and Rachel Terry discuss the 2017 UK General Election campaign and its uncertain aftermath. In this edition our panel offer some thoughts on the 2017 General Election: called by the Prime Minister in the hope of winning a large majority, but offering a far less clear result. To help us along we have an interview with our colleague Dr Mark Bennister, Reader in Politics and a specialist in political leadership. Mark talks us through the campaign, analyses the leaders' performances and assesses the current situation with a hung Parliament. We talk about how psychological theories may shed some light on how people voted. We also discuss populism, rationality, the strong feelings raised on all sides and whether any politician can get elected if they tell us we’ll lose out. The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. You can do this by looking up Discussions in Tunbridge Wells in iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever else you get your podcasts from. Or you can paste the following link into your podcatcher of choice http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers,, Rachel @rterrypsy and Mark @MarkBennister. Links to things we talked about on this show: Mark is the co-editor of The Leadership Capital Index: A New Approach to Political Leadership https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-leadership-capital-index-9780198783848?cc=gb&lang=en& Here is Mark’s piece on Theresa May ‘leaking’ capital . https://canterburypolitics.wordpress.com/2017/06/02/theresa-may-leaking-leadership-capital/ An introduction to Psychodynamic ideas of ‘defence mechanisms’ (by the excellent Alessandra Lemma) be found here. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ILfwFUXC28MC&dq=lemma+types+of+defences Angela talked about ‘Social Identity Theory. This is a fairly clear introduction to those ideas. https://student.cc.uoc.gr/uploadFiles/%CE%92310/Tajfel%20&%20Turner%2086_SIT_xs.pdf John discussed the notion of populism. This piece from The Economist explains populism in a bit more detail. http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2016/12/economist-explains-18 A recent episode of journalist David Aaronovitch’s BBC Radio 4 show ‘The Briefing Room’ discussing how we fund (and whether we can fund) UK public services is available here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08pgbvg John mentioned this piece by David Gutman on the decline of traditional social beleifs and institutions as defences against anxiety (ironically this one may require an institutional login). http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/089484539302000110 Rachel discussed a recent piece by Roger Paxton discussing how psychology can help us understand how people operate in a democracy. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-30/june-2017/democracy-danger And finally, Angela discussed cognitive biases as an evolutionary adaptation. http://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=psychology_articles Producer: John McGowan Music: http://www.bensound.com/

John McGowan, Anne Cooke, Angela Gilchrist, Rachel Terry and Emma Rye discuss involuntary treatment in mental health. In this edition we discuss the compulsory powers available in the mental health system in the UK These include the Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act (MHA). The regular panel is joined by Emma Rye, a Clinical Psychologist working in in the field of learning disabilities. Emma is currently in training to take up the role of a ‘Responsible Clinician’ under the MHA. We also have interviews with Dr Matthew Debenham, an NHS psychiatrist, and with service users Rai Waddingham and Raza Griffiths, both of whom discuss how compulsory powers were used in their own treatment. As the Prime Minister has recently said she would like to ‘rip up’ the Mental Act (see below) our panel also offer Theresa May advice on what to replace it with. You can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers, Anne @AnneCooke14 and Rachel @rterrypsy. Links to things we talked about on this show: A brief overview of the 2007 overhaul of the 1983 Mental Health Act. This 2007 update is still the dominant legislative framework today… http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130107105354/http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/NationalServiceFrameworks/Mentalhealth/DH_078743 … and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice, intended to provide a guide for professionals, service users and carers on the operation of this legislation. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-mental-health-act-1983 A useful summary of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, which allows people to make ‘unwise’ decisions: provided they have the capacity to do so. http://www.scie.org.uk/mca/introduction/mental-capacity-act-2005-at-a-glance Some information on Theresa May’s Mental Health Act announcement. A pledge to ‘rip it up’… https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/every-school-will-get-mental-health-expert-pledges-may-flm9tthf9 …and some suggestions for what might replace it. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/09/theresa-may-mental-health-act-care You can follow Rai Waddingham on Twitter @RaiWaddingham and find a range of resources on her website. http://www.behindthelabel.co.uk/ A recent paper from the British Journal of Psychiatry suggesting that being admitted to a mental health ward may have negative consequences for suicidal risks. http://bjpo.rcpsych.org/content/3/3/102 This Guardian article offers a personal account by a nurse involved in compulsory treatment. https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2017/mar/16/hate-restraining-mental-health-patients-what-choice   This short piece by legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg highlights some of the main issue in replacing European human rights legislation. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/11/human-rights-reform-michael-gove-justice-secretary   This small research study suggests quite mixed experience of involuntary detention and also addresses some of the issues in how to improve people’s experiences. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232053059_Patients'_perceptions_of_the_impact_of_involuntary_inpatient_care_on_self_relationships_and_recovery Please note The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any of the contributors' employing organisations. Producer: John McGowan Additional technical support: Saul McGowan Music: http://www.bensound.com/

John McGowan, Anne Cooke, Angela Gilchrist and Rachel Terry discuss recent developments in suicide prevention policy and Theresa May’s major speech on mental health. In this edition we focus on the Prime Minister’s speech making mental health policy and improved suicide prevention priorities for the UK Government. We discuss a recent House of Commons Health Select Committee report on suicide prevention policy and the Department of Health’s updating of their Suicide Prevention Strategy (referenced in Theresa May’s speech). John also interviews Ian Marsh from our own University. Ian has written extensively about the way we treat suicide and the policy implications that result. The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. You can do this by looking up Discussions in Tunbridge Wells in iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever else you get your podcasts from. Or you can paste the following link into your podcatcher of choice http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss We’ve put the podcasts and links to what we've discussed on our main site blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/. As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers, Anne @AnneCooke14 and Rachel @rterrypsy. Ian Marsh is also on Twitter @ianwmarsh Links to things we talked about on this show: The text of the Prime Minister’s speech to the Charity Commission on the 9th of January 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-shared-society-prime-ministers-speech-at-the-charity-commission-annual-meeting The updating of the Department of Health’s Suicide Prevention Strategy. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-third-annual-report The original DOH Suicide Prevention Strategy from 2012. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-strategy-for-england Also the recent Health Select Committee report.  https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/suicide-prevention-inquiry/ Anne and Ian’s blog post looking at the Health Select Committee report. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/the-politics-of-suicide/# Two research projects by recent graduates from our training scheme. Both look at health staff working with the risk of suicide: Nalletamby, Lucie (2015) The discursive construction of 'suicide' and the effects for clinical practice. D.Clin.Psych. thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/13820/ Crowley, Sarah (2015) Recognising and responding to suicide risk in a community mental health setting. D.Clin.Psych. thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University. http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/13930/ A recent paper from the British Journal of Psychiatry considering the degree to which suicides can be predicted.  http://pb.rcpsych.org/content/pbrcpsych/early/2016/12/16/pb.bp.116.054940.full.pdf If you are feeling suicidal you can contact The Samaritans here. We’d welcome your suggestions of further reading in the comments below. Producer: John McGowan Music: http://www.bensound.com/

John McGowan, Anne Cooke, Angela Gilchrist and Rachel Terry discuss the effects of poverty and inequality on happiness and mental health. In this discussion we focus on two reports. The first is forthcoming book from a London School of Economics group involving Lord Richard Layard and titled ‘The Origins of Happiness’. Even though this hasn’t yet been released it has prompted a great deal of debate, especially with the conclusion that poverty and inequality may be less important than good mental health for human happiness. The second document is a major report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation written by the Mental Health Foundation’s Iris Elliot. This offers what may be a less surprising conclusion: that poverty and inequality are actually very significant in the development of mental health problems. Links to the reports and other pieces related to the discussion are listed below. The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. You can do this by looking up Discussions in Tunbridge Wells in iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever else you get your podcasts from. Or you can paste the following link into your podcatcher of choice http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss We also put the podcasts and links to what we've discussed on our main site blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/. As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers, Anne @AnneCooke14 and you Rachel @rterrypsy. Links to things we talked about in this weeks show: While the book by the LSE group has not been published yet we obtained an advance (though draft) copy by contacting them via the following link. http://www.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/news/archives/2016/12/Relationships-and-happiness.aspx The work of the LSE group has also prompted some news paper coverage and letters already including two pieces in the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/12/happiness-depends-on-health-and-friends-not-money-says-new-study https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2016/dec/13/mental-illness-and-poverty-you-cant-tackle-one-without-the-other Also there have been a couple of multi-signatory letters: one in the Guardian and the other in the Independent. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/13/looking-for-happiness-in-life-and-at-work http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/aleppo-west-cannot-take-responsibility-brexit-education-theresa-may-leather-trousers-letters-a7477191.html There has also been a response fro the network ‘Psychologists Against Austerity’. https://psychagainstausterity.wordpress.com/our-campaigns/origins-of-happiness-paa-response/   A link to the main Joseph Rowntree Foundation report (published earlier this year) can be found here. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/poverty-and-mental-health Additionally, Iris Elliot has written a short accompanying blog. http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/tackling-poverty-and-mental-health-%E2%80%93-what-we-know-and-what-we-can-do Finally, Iris Elliot is interviewed in this short edition of the Mental Health Foundation Podcast.  https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/podcasts-and-videos/mental-health-and-poverty We’d be grateful if anyone wishes to leave any other relevant links in the comment section of our blog. Producer: John McGowan Music: www.bensound.com

Does Therapy do you Good? John McGowan is joined by Angela Gilchrist, Anne Cooke, Fergal Jones and Rachel Terry to discuss questions related to whether psychotherapy is helpful or not. If it is then what is it helpful for, what are the bits that work and it there the potential for harm. The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. You can subscribe to us by looking up Discussions in Tunbridge Wells in iTunes, SoundCloud or wherever else you get your podcasts from. Or you can paste the following link into your podcatcher of choice http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss We'll also put the podcasts and links to what we've discussed on our main site blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/. As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can Follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers, Anne @AnneCooke14 and Rachel @rterrypsy. Here are some links to things we discussed in this episode The American Psychological Associations’s introductory pages on Psychotherapy http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-psychotherapy.aspx Some questions about the long term effectiveness of CBT in particular were raised by Weston and colleagues in 2004 http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.536.6948&rep=rep1&type=pdf Our colleague Tina Hart recently completed a research project on ‘negative change’ in psychotherapy. Links to both parts of this project (a long literature review and a research study) can be found at the following link: https://create.canterbury.ac.uk/14810/1/Christina_Hart_MRP_2016.pdf A recent piece on our blog by Leigh Emery and Huw Green explored the the spread of ideas psychological therapies hand how this may dilute effectiveness. https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/where-are-the-psycho-sceptics/ Producer: John McGowan Music: www.bensound.com

The Psychology of Brexit John McGowan, Angela Gilchrist and Rachel Terry discuss the psychology of the forthcoming UK referendum on membership of the European Union. Note: This podcast was recorded before the tragic death of Jo Cox MP on the 16th of June 2016. Friends of Ms Cox have set up a fund to encourage donations to charities she supported. You can find more details here. https://www.gofundme.com/jocox The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. For now you can do that by pasting the following link http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss into iTunes or whatever your podcatcher of choice is. We're in the process of getting listed on podcast databases, including iTunes, and that should make it easier to find us. We'll also put the podcasts and links to what we've discussed on our main site blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/. As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. You can Follow Angela on Twitter @cyberwhispers and you can follow Rachel @rterrypsy Some links mentioned in the show Telegraph Piece about Daniel Kahneman’s views on ‘Anger and irritation’ in the Referendum http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/06/05/british-voters-succumbing-to-impulse-irritation-and-anger---and/ John’s McGowan on the Scottish Independence Referendum (from 2014 – 2nd piece in feature. The other two are very interesting also!) https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-27/edition-6/opinion-scottish-question A short introduction to Social Identity Theory http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html A very interesting piece by Matthew D'Ancona about some of the expectations on both sides of the argument. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/13/10-days-from-terrible-mistake-europe-immigration-leave-campaign The UK in a Changing Europe project is a network of social scientists providing evidence-based, non-partisan analysis of the UK’s relationship to the EU. http://ukandeu.ac.uk/ Full Fact offers analysis of the claims of the two campaigns in the Referendum. https://fullfact.org/ Producer: John McGowan Music: www.bensound.com

Welcome to Discussions in Tunbridge Wells, the new podcast from the Salomons Centre for Applied Psychology. Over the next few months I'll be joined by my colleagues Anne Cooke and Angela Gilchrist to discuss mental health, the NHS and many other topics where psychology has something to add to the conversation. While we'll go on publishing articles on our blog, the podcast is intended to allow us to have discussions with a wider range of people and better showcase issues that we, and we hope you, are interested in. As well as our ramblings, we'll have interviews and guest contributions whenever we can. The best way follow the podcast is to subscribe to our feed. For now you can do that by pasting the following link http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56544633/sounds.rss into iTunes or whatever your podcatcher of choice is. We're in the process of getting listed on podcast databases,including iTunes, and that should make it easier to find us. We'll also put the podcasts and links to what we've discussed on our main site blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/discursive/. As well as that you can follow us on Twitter @CCCUApppsy and on Facebook if you search for Canterbury Christ Church University Applied Psychology. Producer: John McGowan Music: www.bensound.com