Papers & Interviews

"As for how learning about Diana’s experiences could help children, Dr Naseem says it could make a huge difference. “It will help to normalise conversations around these problems.” Opening up a dialogue around eating disorders might sound simple enough, but it is integral given the societal taboo attached to them. “Shame is a powerful force that helps an eating disorder thrive,” she continues. “Young people may feel comforted knowing they aren’t the only ones going through such a difficult issue. [And] If it can affect someone as high profile as Diana, it really is indiscriminate.”"

"This is where Ozempic comes in, as Doctor Louisa Beckford, Consultant Psychiatrist explains, a drug manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. "It's normally injected once per week by those with type 2 diabetes to improve blood sugar and lower the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as stroke, heart attack or death in adults with heart disease," she details. So, why the sudden spike in celebrities using it for weight loss? Well, while its goal is to lower the health risks associated with type 2 diabetes, a side effect of the drug is weight loss - and quite significant weight loss, at that."

"We’ve seen growing interest in the interface between video games and mental health. Checkpoint, published in 2020, approaches this topic from various angles, intertwining pop science and personal narrative to make a strong case that video games have a growing importance in people’s mental wellbeing. Author Joe Donnelly, a journalist, writer, and mental health advocate, takes an investigative approach to the subject, interviewing clinicians, gamers, and other stakeholders to understand the place video games have in the mental health field."

""Ozempic works for weight loss by reducing appetite, slowing down digestion and contributing to a feeling of fullness. Ozempic targets a hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like petitde-1), and as a result increases insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion and slows gastric emptying," explains Dr Louisa Beckford, Consultant Psychiatrist. So, are there risks associated with taking the drugs? Both experts we spoke to stressed that yes, there - both physically and societally."

"A growing number of Muslim doctors and psychologists are trying to bridge the gap between faith leaders and worshippers like Habiba, who say they face marginalization when trying to access support within their own communities, as well as in the public health system. “Minorities are underrepresented. It’s not that they don’t have eating disorders or suffer, but there is all this stigma around who comes to get help,” Dr. Omara Naseem, a UK-based counseling psychologist who specializes in treating eating disorders, said. These are “invisible and indiscriminate” illnesses that transcend age, religion, gender and sexuality, she added."

"Dr Harpur explained that having a narcissistic mother is difficult for various reasons. Among them, she noted children have the expectation that they will be loved unconditionally for who they are as individuals, but that doesn't always happen. Those with narcissistic mothers may find that that achievements are viewed as 'an extension of her', and their mothers maybe highly critical, demanding that her children become their caretakers of her needs."

"This Thursday, 16 June, the College held the second of three events to celebrate newly elected Fellows of the College. These ceremonies honour the amazing contributions of our senior members, from around the world, to the field of psychiatry."

"Our intention is to challenge traditional knowledge production through a participatory research approach, where we aim to inspire how mental health support can be improved in Black Majority Churches and faith communities, and how healthcare providers consider and include religious beliefs in healthcare services."

Do we as mental health clinicians think we have a role in helping people live a fulfilled life? Does the public know that there is life after and life with a mental illness? And what is our job in communicating that to the public?