All in the Mind

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Podcasts

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

The show with the latest evidence on psychology, mental health and neuroscience.

The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.

BBC Radio 4 FM

All in the Mind: Can we fix mental health care?

Can we fix mental health care?

BBC Radio 4 - All in the Mind, Can we fix mental health care?

Two of the most senior leaders in the field discuss the future of mental health support.

The head of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Chief Executive of MIND discuss why mental health services are struggling and what can be done to help.

Whilst we have been hearing about some amazing acts of mental health support in the All in the Mind Awards, many of you have reached out to express the difficulties you've had finding the care you need. Two of the most influential leaders in the mental health space - Dr Shubulade Smith, head of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Sarah Hughes, chief executive officer of the charity MIND – talk to Claudia Hammond to discuss what is causing some of these service problems and what can be done to help. They emphasise the importance of defining mental health from mental illness, and what ambitions they both have for the future of mental healthcare in Britain.  

Side by Side is a pilot initiative led by the Alzheimer’s Society in Bristol, pairing up volunteers with people living with dementia based on common interests. This is how Simon met David. After learning he had Alzheimer’s disease during the isolation of lockdown, Simon struggled to come to terms with his diagnosis, and his wife Ruth, who was balancing so many responsibilities, felt the impact on her mental health. They didn’t realise how much these weights would lift when they signed up for Side by Side. Every Monday, David – an Alzheimer’s Society volunteer – picks Simon up and the two venture out. Whether walking Clifton Down’s or hunting for Bristol’s best brownie, they talk for hours, sharing their love of local history, and Simon comes home invigorated. For Ruth, this precious free time gives her respite from spinning her many plates, and these huge mental health improvements are why the judges made Side by Side an All in the Mind Award finalist. 

Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Leeds, Daryl O’Connor, gives an update on some of the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology, including differences in depression depending on socioeconomic status and how intelligent brains make complex decisions. Plus, research reveals the impact your first name may have on where you live and what you do. 

Produced in partnership with the Open University. 

Producer: Julia Ravey

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

All in the Mind

Can we fix mental health care?

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4