Psych Summaries

In this episode, Hannah steers away from academia, to gain insight into lived experience, with Antonio Ferreira They cover diagnosis, struggles, and lessons learnt from his hospitalisation then and now. If you want to support his work, you can find him on https://www.instagram.com/antonioferreira_mh/ and I would highly recommend checking his work out.    TW: reference to suicidal ideation, restraint, and difficult topics. If you feel impacted by any of the subjects covered, please disclose this to someone you feel able to talk with, or alternatively follow the links below.    https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool  https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/

In this episode, Hannah chats to Jacinta Brinsley, who is completing her Phd in clinical exercise physiology with a focus on the relationship between yoga and mental health. They discuss the current research base in relation to mental illness, inflammation, and our brain and its broader limitations and future directions. You can follow her work here and if you are interested in reading more in this area then you can follow any one of these links:   https://content.iospress.com/download/brain-plasticity/bpl190084?id=brain-plasticity%2Fbpl190084   https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00770/full   https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2020/04/05/bjsports-2019-101242.full.pdf   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33189861/   https://www.jacintabrinsleyclinicalyoga.com/

In this episode, Hannah talks to Mike Tipton, MBE, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the University of Portsmouth who has spent his career studying cold-water immersion and human physiology. They discuss the current status of research into cold water immersion, anecdotal evidence surrounding mental health and its application to widespread ideas around its benefits on immunity, mental illness, inflammation and much more. He highlights what factors swimmers need to think about when considering cold water immersion, as well as what mechanisms may be at play in those that claim positive benefits from doing it. It's very clear that this research base is in its infancy but that its future directions could provide promising findings. If you want to follow his work you can find him on Twitter or read his research.

In this episode, Hannah chats to the incredible Professor Jayashri Kulkarni who is a world leading expert in women's mental health and a specialist in how hormones may impact our brain and mental health. She directs a research centre, has set up the first australian all female psychiatric ward, has won many prestigious awards for her research work, and has pioneered the use of oestrogen as a new treatment in schizophrenia. She is truly phenomenal and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to pick her brains. We discuss a range of topics relating to women mental health such as the impact of hormone fluctuation, sex and gender differences between men and women, the impact of trauma, and much more. You can find more about her work here 

In this episode, Hannah speaks to Brendon Stubbs, a top three influential exercise researcher globally, who has worked clinically for 20 years and leads several research programs. His work is centred around physical activity & mental health, the mind-body interface, healthy ageing and meta-research. Brendon is a fountain of knowledge and is one of my favourite people to follow on social media. There is always a critical and nuanced perspective to all information that he puts out. You can follow his work on Twitter, Instagram, and look at his work directly - and I highly recommend you do . 

In this episode, Hannah chats to Dr. Han Ren about BIPOC mental health. They explore what liberation psychology is, how the mental health space needs more anti-oppressive practice, and more broadly the intersection of politics and mental health. Han is so brilliant and I absolutely loved chatting to her. I would highly recommend checking her out on Instagram or tik tok for more. 

In this episode, Hannah speaks to Professor Julia Rucklidge about the exciting field of Nutritional Psychiatry and her research into supplementation and its impact on psychiatric conditions. Julia is so insightful and does such a wonderful job of translating her scientific findings into layman's terms. I would highly highly recommend reading her book for yourself but if you want more information before doing so, head to her website. You can follow her on Instagram here, and if you want to hear more you can watch her Ted Talk.

In this episode, Hannah is joined by expert in the field of anger research, Dr Ryan Martin aka @angerprofessor. They discuss the role of anger, how we can channel it into positive change, genetic underpinnings, and so much more. You can check out his ted talk here. Reframing and understanding anger can be a really useful tool and I hope that you find some helpful insights!

TW Eating Disorders, mention of purging, restrictive eating, & broader behaviours related to eating disorders. In this episode, Hannah is joined by Dr Erikka Dzirasa, a psychiatrist specialising in eating disorders. They discuss the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders, the prevalence of specific eating disorders, cross-cultural application, and so much more. This is such an insightful and educational conversation about a highly misunderstood illness. You can find her account here.

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Dr Sophie Mort, a Clinical Psychologist who has made it her mission to translate Psychology from the therapy room and into everyday life so that people can access information before they are struggling. They discuss why anxiety arises, how to manage it, and which coping mechanisms we should put in place to support our overall well being. Sophie is a fountain of knowledge and the hope is that you are able to take away practical tips and learn about the mechanisms of anxiety. You can follow her work here and can pre-order her book now!

In this episode, Hannah is joined by Emma Green, PhD in Health Psychology, to discuss the research base into the relationship between weight and health, stigmatisation of larger bodies, intuitive eating, and more. Emma has an incredible presence on social media, with such in-depth and balanced views on research in the fields of fitness and food. You can follow her work here, I would *highly* recommend!

In this episode, Hannah discusses the current research base and what we know about sleep with leading expert in sleep biology and circadian rhythms, Jamie Zietzer. They explore the associations between mental health and sleep problems, the importance of regularity (and problems that may occur from irregularity), how screens and lights within our homes may impact our sleep, and more. You can read more about Jamie's work here.

In this episode, Hannah speaks to Professor of Experimental Research Shane O'Mara from Trinity College Dublin. They explore neuroscience and psychological research into what walking does for our physical and mental health, reasons for why we may not naturally feel inclined to engage in activity, and how this becomes even more challenging when we live in environments that do not promote more active lifestyles. You can sign up to Shane's newsletter here and check out his incredible research on his website.

In this episode, Hannah discusses the research base into Body Image with senior research fellow at Centre for Appearance Research, Dr Helena Lewis-Smith. They delve into how body image may be a catalyst in the onset of mental health problems - making it a public health issue - how this may have been impacted by the pandemic, why someone may suffer with body image concerns, and tips for those that do. CAR is the world's largest research group focusing on the role of appearance and body image in people's lives, and you can find more info here, as well as following Helena's work here. Trigger warning: this episode refers to eating disorders and specific behaviours of someone suffering with one.

In this video, Hannah speaks to Caroline Hickman, Climate Psychologist, Researcher, Psychotherapist and Counsellor. We discuss her cross-cultural work with young people, hear first hand examples of Eco-anxiety, and discuss tools to build resilience. Trigger warning: this discussion includes reference to extreme levels of despair and high levels of anxiety. To learn more about psychological research looking at the impacts on mental well-being, please head to Climate Psychology Alliance - a multidisciplinary group of contributors in this research area.

In this episode, Hannah talks to Dr David McLaughlan. He has a distinctly prominent voice and is a trusted mental health source on social media. Trigger warning: they discuss the ‘4 P's that contribute to the onset of a persistent low mood - including biological underpinnings of depression - and talk at length about the increased numbers of those suffering in low mood due to the pandemic, at what point low mood might become a pathology, and how to support someone you love that may be suffering. For more Psych summaries, be sure to follow @psychsummaries and to follow Dr McLaughlan's work, find him at @Offdutydoctor on Instagram, you won't be disappointed! 

In this episode, Hannah talks to Ted Dinan, Professor of Psychiatry at University College Cork. Ted has a wealth of experience having worked at St.Bartholomew's Hopsital, London, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of London. He is highly cited in his literature and is well-known for his research into the communication between the brain and the gut, which he has shown is influenced by what we eat. While still in its infancy, this research has vast implications for the future of how we understand and treat mental health. You can read more about his research interests here . For more Psych Summaries, find me on Instagram