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Who are the Psych Stars?
Selected by The Royal College of Psychiatrists, Psych Star ambassadors are a group of final year medical students awarded for their particular interest and commitment to psychiatry. During the year-long scheme as Psych Stars, students are nurtured in their interest in psychiatry through the assignment of mentors, by gaining access to learning resources and events, and by becoming part of a network of like-minded students.
We have decided to invite each of the Psych Stars to write a blog on how they envision the future of mental health by choosing an area in which they are passionate. We have decided to run the series as a celebration of these student’s success and to provide an outlook for each of the awardees to share their passion.
I Passed the Interview. I Failed the Break Room
My first job out of university was as a proofreader. People hear that and picture something calm, maybe a little dull. Nobody imagines it as a job that could push someone into a fear of leaving their own house, or into needing antidepressants just to function. The masking required in an office setting, however, drained everything I had. The work itself suited me. Long stretches of quiet, focused attention on a page, checking for consistency, catching errors other people had m
Anonymous
2 hours ago5 min read
When Helping Too Much Stops Helping
Sometimes, the wish to help can become part of the problem. And this does not happen only in psychotherapy. In families, friendships and romantic relationships, we can sometimes find ourselves repeatedly occupying familiar positions: the person who needs to be rescued, the person who must rescue everyone else, or the person who is blamed for what has gone wrong. These patterns can become so familiar that we barely notice them.
Benedetta Vai
1 day ago5 min read
Psychedelic Panic
Before I tried psychedelics I wasn't much interested in drugs. Perhaps a part of my neurotic tendencies was that I was terrified of losing control of myself and mostly stayed away from caffeine, alcohol, and cannabis. Psychedelics, though, weren't just a drug, but an opportunity for a breakthrough. I am Clare Ashcraft, a twenty-three-year-old writer living in Ohio, and in this blog I share my experience with psilocybin (magic mushrooms).
Clare Ashcraft
2 days ago6 min read
Cornwall Is Full of Talent, But Not Enough Jobs
At 24, I have two degrees, I am a published author of over 15 titles, and I had worked my way into a senior editorial position at a children's publishing house. I was building the kind of career I had imagined for myself, and in Cornwall, the place I’m lucky enough to have made my home. Then I was made redundant. Since losing my job, I have applied for roles in my industry, as well as hospitality and retail jobs that I assumed would be easier to find.
Millie Burdett
3 days ago6 min read
Digger and The Burning Forests of Indonesia
I was born and raised in the UK, where it is easy to look away. But, as an Indonesian part of the diaspora, I can’t help but ache as the land my ancestors lived on is burned and torn apart. By the end of September 2026, an estimated 1.92 million hectares of Indonesia have burned. The dry conditions behind the fires were caused by a natural climate pattern in which the surface of the tropical Pacific Ocean becomes unusually warm.
Nuriza Tukiran
4 days ago5 min read
The Waiting Room After My Brother Died
My brother was my best friend before he was anything else. Not just family, not just the person I happened to grow up next to, but the person I called first, the person who knew which version of a story I was telling and which version was true. My name is Israel Temmie. I am a freelance writer, and much of what I do now involves trying to make sense of experiences by putting them into words.
Israel Temmie
Nov 65 min read
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
I met Mark Moore while desperately looking for a flat in London. We immediately connected over our passion for electronic music and the club scene. As S’Express’s lead DJ, Mark is a living piece of that culture. Our friendship has motivated me, as a psychiatry trainee, to investigate the mental health impact of clubbing – one of my favourite off-work activities. In the late 1980s, the Second Summer of Love saw British youth flocking to parties, dancing to the rhythm of acid h
Costanza Pavone
Nov 56 min read
Unpaid Caregiving Economy: Building Feminist Solidarity for Women
When I was fourteen, I was often pitted against my six-year-old sister. “Look at her, how much she cares about her father”, they would remark as my sister would watch my father take off his shoes, pick them up and keep them in their designated place. She was applauded for her work and hailed as the ‘domestic princess’, and her actions were construed as an act of love towards our father, leading to approval and validation.
Varisha Tariq
Nov 44 min read
Hiking, Gen Z, and Mental Health: Is There a Connection?
There is a growing interest in hiking amongst young people being driven by a desire for stronger real-life connection and a dissatisfaction with online socialising. Could this trend be an encouraging symptom of increasing mental-health awareness, in a generation deeply affected by pandemic-era loneliness and chronic screen use? The media often sees young people as the generation most addicted to the digital world.
Oliver Bell
Nov 35 min read
ACOTAR 6 Is Here: Let’s Talk About the Women of the 'Maasverse'
Sarah J. Maas, you’ve done it again. At this point, is there anything I don’t love about her? Like me, she loves sharks. What’s not to love about a woman who can create entire fictional worlds filled with magic, mayhem and characters who stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page?
Following the anticipated release of A Court of Splintered Harmony, the newest instalment in the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series, on 27 October 2026, I’ve found myself reflect
Riddhi Laijawala
Nov 26 min read
Roses in the Night — A Short Story
She was startled out of her sleep. Something had woken her this time. There was a noise. Was it from the outside? She pulls off the sweaty covers and pats the night table for her flash-light and hammer. The twin-bell alarm clock ticks away just after 2 in the morning.
Niki Hatzidis
Oct 307 min read
Once Upon a Time - More Than Just Stories
Short stories may be brief, but they hold a powerful way of teaching us lessons through fiction. Folktales, alike, have been passed down through generations, often orally, to communicate values, preserve traditions, and make sense of the world around us. One lesson that I have learned is the power of honesty, which is reflected in one of my favourite short stories that I read when I was younger, “La Parure” or “The Necklace” in English by Guy Maupassant (This is where the exc
Layecha Fidahoussen
Oct 295 min read
Getting Men Talking About Their Feelings
It’s a common myth that men don’t talk about their feelings, but they absolutely do – under the right conditions. Talking about our feelings is important because it provides a window into our mental health and wellbeing. Spotting any issues early can prevent them from escalating, and sharing concerns helps us to see them from a different perspective. As the saying goes: a problem shared is a problem halved.
Jessica Hobbs
Oct 285 min read
They Are Special, I Am Not: Self-Esteem in a Ruthless Job Market
My name is Meera. I recently graduated from King’s College London with a bachelor’s degree in English. Since graduating, the search for employment has been a demoralising process wherein most of my applications are met with no response and each vague rejection seems to pose more questions than answers.
Meera Mohanraj
Oct 274 min read
Impossibly Far, Incredibly Close: Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love
Is the moon there when nobody looks? — N. David Mermin, physicist (1985) On 12 September, South Korean director Lee Chang-dong's first feature in eight years won the Grand Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. No Korean film had won it before. Eleven days later, it arrived in a handful of Korean cinemas for a limited run before its Netflix release. For an award of that weight, the release was modest, and the title just as understated. Possible Love. Even
Jinho Kim
Oct 266 min read
Steps Towards Eating Disorder Recovery: Real-Life Snakes and Ladders
Two steps forward and one step back can be a good way to describe the process of recovering from an eating disorder. The journey is not linear. Some weeks you make massive amounts of progress, while some days you feel as though you are going backwards. A key part of recovery is to process setbacks: noticing what didn’t go to plan and learning from it. So, the next time you are faced with a similar situation, you can make pro-recovery decisions.
Lydia Eriksson
Oct 235 min read
Angel of My Dreams: My Love-Hate Take on the Victoria’s Secret Show
I will unashamedly admit that I have watched the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show every year since I was 14. I remember visiting the flagship store in New York City, proudly standing in front of their display of Kendall Jenner’s debut outfit, as an eager 16-year-old waiting to post this onto my Instagram feed. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realise how conflicted this show makes me feel. The nuances beneath the wings, the glitz, the glimmer, and the seemingly perfect, ye
Riddhi Laijawala
Oct 225 min read
Beyond Postnatal Depression
Maternal mental health is often framed through a single question: does postnatal depression affect the baby? And intuitively, this makes sense. It seems obvious that experiencing poor mental health while caring for a newborn could have negative impacts on the baby. But emerging evidence suggests this framing is too narrow. It may not simply be the presence of symptoms after birth that matters, but when they occur - and what they reflect about longer-term vulnerability.
Sorcha Alford
Oct 216 min read
A Young Man Dies. Trump Makes It a Joke.
Last Saturday (11 October 2026), a young man with mental illness, William Chapman, died in horrific circumstances at Yorkshire Wildlife Park here in the UK. His family were left to face an unimaginable loss. The President of the United States shared footage of the attack and then circulated an AI-generated version in which he, Trump, became the star. We find it difficult to imagine a more grotesque response from someone entrusted with public office.
Inspire the Mind
Oct 205 min read
Verity: The Trouble with Being Certain
In Verity, Dakota Johnson plays Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to continue the successful novel series of Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, after a serious accident leaves her apparently unable to work. Moving into the Crawford family home, Lowen discovers a manuscript that appears to reveal disturbing truths about Verity’s life. Her growing attraction to Verity’s husband, Jeremy, makes the task of deciding whom to believe even more complicated. Directed by
Tony Woods
Oct 195 min read
The Victors Write History: How Title IX Gives Perpetrators the Last Word
Writing is a privilege, not a punishment. Prose, essays, and stories are vehicles for truth and influence–reflecting a means to bridge individuals and contribute our voice to the vast human experience. Despite the responsibility of academic institutions to uphold the legacy of the written word, Title IX allows American Universities to dole out disciplinary actions in the form of a three-page essay in exchange for a clean slate, demonstrating just how much American universitie
Anonymous
Oct 166 min read
Living In-Between: What Recurrent Loss Taught Me About Carrying Grief
When I first wrote about losing our baby in October 2024, I thought the hardest part would be the miscarriage itself. In many ways, it was. At the time, grief felt enormous. Overwhelming. It filled every room, every conversation, every quiet moment. But it wasn’t always going to stay that way. It might not disappear, but it changes shape, and settles into the everyday. That kind of grief becomes something I carry in my bones alongside everything else — work, relationships, bi
Tassia O'Callaghan
Oct 155 min read
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