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About the AMHDM Series
The present series is one of the outcomes of a project organised by Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from EDIFY to showcase and reflect on science communication activities across a range of research programmes that were funded by the UKRI “Adolescence, Mental Health and the Developing Mind” (AMHDM) initiative. Having received an “Early Career Researchers – Networking and Knowledge Dissemination” award from UKRI, Dr Tine Opitz and her colleagues organised a mixture of training and networking activities to facilitate and enhance wider public impact from the AMHDM-funded programmes. The current article series is a collaborative project that allows ECRs and youth advisors from associated programmes to reflect on research processes, public engagement, as well as their roles and identities within their research environment.
Articles:
The Fear of Clowns and a Smile We Cannot Trust
Like many who heard the news on the evening of Wednesday 26th August about the passing of actor Tim Curry, grief presented itself in me as reminiscing about his iconic roles throughout my childhood. Although Curry’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990s adaptation of Stephen King’s IT may have helped cement the sinister killer-clown trope in the mainstream since, the fear of clowns long precedes his performance.
Melisa Kose
2 days ago5 min read
What Does Inflammatory Depression Look Like, and How Can We Assess It?
When we think about depression, we often think first about sadness, hopelessness, or losing interest in things we once enjoyed. But depression is much more diverse than that. Two people can receive the same diagnosis and experience very different combinations of depressive symptoms. For example, even the same symptomatologic areas can be affected in opposite ways: some people may sleep much more than usual, while others struggle with insomnia and have difficulty sleeping.
Benedetta Vai
3 days ago5 min read
Postpartum Psychosis Is More Complex Than the Lindsay Clancy Trial
I have been watching the Lindsay Clancy trial unfold over the past few weeks, with growing unease. Now, after weeks of testimony and intense public scrutiny, the proceedings have ended in a mistrial. Before I started my PhD, I knew very little about postpartum psychosis (PPP). I had briefly studied it during my Neuroscience and Psychiatric research bachelor’s and master’s degrees. But it wasn’t until I co-led the PRAM-P cohort study.
Sorcha Alford
4 days ago6 min read
Young People Want to Talk About Social Media. Are We Listening?
As a Senior Research Fellow in Digital Health at King's College London, I've spent the past few years speaking with young adults about social media and mental health. As the UK moves towards restrictions on social media use for under-16s, alongside other countries taking a similar approach, public discussion often comes down to a simple question: is social media good or bad for young people's mental health? To explore this topic, my colleagues and I interviewed 28 young adult
Ruth Plackett
6 days ago5 min read
Sexual Health is Mental Health: Developing ACCESS-MH
We need to talk about sex in mental health settings. In recent years, it has become widely recognised that people living with psychiatric disorders experience a disproportionate burden of preventable physical illness. Research suggests that people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) die 15-20 years earlier than the general population, with physical health conditions contributing substantially to this mortality gap. Growing recognition of this inequality has driven efforts to imp
Sorcha Alford
6 days ago6 min read
Could Low Brain Iron Levels Help Explain Schizophrenia?
I have always wanted to understand how the brain works. When I was 6, my grandfather had a serious stroke. This always witty, happy, active man became quiet, sad, and unable to move the left side of his body. He stopped eating to try to end his life several times but was kept alive with feeding tubes until he passed 5 years later. Soon after, I came across the author Oliver Sacks. His books taught me that the brain doesn't just support who we are; it is who we are.
Luke Vano
Sep 45 min read
What Actually Helps: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD
ADHD diagnoses in England have risen sharply since 2020, though diagnosis still lags behind estimated prevalence. But for many, diagnosis is just the beginning. While finally having an explanation for years of challenges can bring relief, a new question follows: What now?
Understanding you have ADHD is one thing; learning how to manage it is another. I’m a therapist for ADHD, with ADHD. Before specialising in ADHD therapy, I experienced many of the challenges I now help clie
Laura Huddart
Sep 35 min read
Your Twenties Are for Mistakes Unless Anxiety Gets In The Way
You think your twenties are going to follow the shape of New Girl or Sex and the City. You forget most of these characters are in their thirties because that doesn’t fit the narrative, and your twenties are all about the narrative. You’re expecting an eclectic gut-punch of a decade, but there’s probably still a worrying amount of quiet. Give yourself a little more time because, well, 2020 happened, and more worldly events seem to keep happening on top of it.
Chloe Johnson
Sep 35 min read
A Family Intervention for Severe Behaviour Problems
I am Simone, a consultant clinical and forensic psychologist employed by South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. I am both a researcher and a clinician. I work within a National Specialist team that oversees the delivery of an evidence-based intervention to young people and their families, where there are high concerns around the young person’s behaviour. The intervention is called Multisystemic Therapy or MST. The aim of treatment is to prevent the young person from go
Simone Fox
Sep 14 min read
Cara’s Path to Finding Herself at Notting Hill Carnival - A Short Story
Since losing her Uncle Easton, Cara hadn't felt like herself — until she played mas again, dancing to groovy soca in the sun at Notting Hill Carnival. Cara has always been someone who keeps to herself. You could call her a lone wolf by nature — she keeps her emotions close but is the kind of person who is always there to lend a listening ear and a smile to those on their heaviest days. Having first experienced depression at 15, Cara would wander into her dad's room and lie on
Kanika Phillip
Aug 286 min read
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