The Lancet Psychiatry in conversation with

Tasdik Hasan on co-production of a Bangla mental health sign language bank

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

A Health Policy piece in our April issue by Tasdik Hasan and co-authors titled: Co-designing a Bangla Mental Health Sign Language Bank in Bangladesh

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00334-7/fulltext

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Emily Holmes on an imagery competing task for intrusive trauma memories

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0000

How can you stop traumatic flashbacks in just one session?

Intrusive memories are so common after experiencing traumatic events and are one of the hallmark features of PTSD, but what if you could take away the power of those images without having to discuss them at length in therapy? In this episode, Emily Holmes talks about a new randomised controlled trial of an imagery-competing task, where participants are taught in just one guided session to recall a traumatic memory and then use mental rotation and playing Tetris, which had a strong effect on reducing intrusive memories and PTSD symptoms. We talk about the neuroscience-informed development of this approach to trauma, and the importance of finding scalable and accessible approaches in psychological intervention research.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00397-9/fulltext

Mike Crawford on a brief intervention for personality disorder

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Can personality disorder treatments be reduced to just a few months?

The evidence base for personality disorder treatments, like dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) or mentalisation-based treatment (MBT), points towards treatments that last at least a year. Within the mental health field in general, though, in many countries there's a drive towards offering shorter treatments. But how short is too short, considering the needs of people with personality-related difficulties and the challenges in developing a therapeutic relationship?

In this episode, Mike Crawford talks about a new study into a treatment of just 10 sessions using Structured Psychological Support, which draws on elements of DBT and MBT. We talk about the language used around personality disorder, how caution is now needed in reducing treatment duration, and about what to take forwards from this study for future treatment development.

Click here to read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00372-4/fulltext

Ethelreda Nakimuli and Peter Jones on the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:00:00 +0000

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect mental health?

Now that some years have passed since the pandemic's height, we can learn more from synthesising all the evidence about its shorter and longer term effects.

In this episode, Ethelreda Nakimuli and Peter Jones talk about two new papers that gather the past 5 years of work on the pandemic and mental health and policy approaches. They talk about the different effects of the pandemic on different groups' mental health, how mental health care was affected, and about what we can learn for future crises about different types of public health response to the pandemic.

Click here to read the full articles:

Ilaria Costantini and Francesca Solmi on young people's body dissatisfaction and mental health

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Body dissatisfaction has been rising among adolescents in recent years, and so have symptoms and diagnoses of mental disorders. To help us know what to do about increasing youth mental ill health, we need better understandings of what is driving it, but causal factors are hard to pin down.

In this episode, Ilaria Costantini and Francesca Solmi talk about their new study that uses a longitudinal twin study to disentangle the genetic and environmental factors in the associations between adolescent body dissatisfaction and later symptoms of eating disorder and depression. We think about why body dissatisfaction is such a key factor and talk about ways it could be tackled.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00333-5/fulltext?dgcid=tlcom_podcast_acq-december25_lanpsy

Melissa DelBello on metformin for youth with bipolar disorder

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Weight gain is a typical side-effect of taking antipsychotics and can have a big impact on people. But for young people with bipolar disorder, metformin isn't commonly prescribed alongside an antipsychotic. In this episode, Melissa DelBello describes a huge randomised trial in the USA on metformin for young people with bipolar disorder taking antipsychotics, looking at its effects over a 2-year period.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00273-1/fulltext

Camilla Rosan on the COS-P perinatal mental health intervention

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 23:00:00 +0100

Up to 1 in 4 women and birthing parents experience perinatal mental health difficulties, but there isn't enough evidence around interventions that could help them, especially interventions that work with the parent-infant bond or that focus on a broad range of mental health difficulties rather than specific disorders.

Camilla Rosan talks about what's needed in perinatal mental health services, and tells us about the trial she just led on Circle of Security-Parenting (COS-P), a group intervention for birthing parents with infants aged under 1 year.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00263-9/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_October_25_lanpsy

Juan Carlos Bazo Alvarez and Claudia Cooper on antipsychotics and dementia

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 23:00:00 +0100

People living with dementia often have behavioural and psychiatric symptoms, such as agitation, and when these are severe, antipsychotics can be prescribed. Guidelines recommend prescribing antipsychotics at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, but does this really happen in practice?

Juan Carlos Bazo Alvarez and Claudia Cooper's research team looked at primary care data from the UK, to assess prescribing practice, and found that prescriptions are higher and for longer than is recommended. In the podcast, we talk about their study and how things could be improved.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00261-5/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_September_25_lanpsy

Kasia Machaczek, Scott Teasdale, and Joe Firth on lifestyle interventions

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 23:00:00 +0100

Why is physical health so important for people with mental illness? In this episode, we talk about a new paper on lifestyle interventions for people with mental illness, covering which aspects of those interventions are beneficial for physical and mental health, and looking at key recommendations for how to implement these interventions in mental health settings.

Kasia Machaczek, Scott Teasdale, and Joe Firth talk about their new paper on this topic, which extends the work of a 2019 Lancet Psychiatry Commission on physical health in people with mental illness.

Read the Commission:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00170-1/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_August_25_lanpsy

Louise Glenthøj, Ditte Lammers, and Vibeke Andersen on virtual reality-based therapy for auditory hallucinations

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0100

What if you could see the voice inside your head?

Auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia are often distressing, as the voices are often malicious and unrelenting. In a new type of immersive virtual reality-based therapy, a 3D avatar of the voice is built by the patient and therapist, and it is then confronted together during the sessions.

In this podcast, we discuss the randomised controlled trial of a large study into this VR therapy, and we hear from one of the participants in the study and one of the study therapists, as well as the lead on the study.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00161-0?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_July_25_lanpsy

Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk on health-care responses for trans and gender diverse people after interpersonal violence

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0100

Transgender and gender diverse people experience disproportionately high levels of interpersonal violence, but they also face multiple barriers to receiving quality post-violence care, with knock-on effects for their mental health.

Katrina Kennedy and Rose Pollard Kaptchuk talk with Sophia Davis about the values and preferences of trans and gender diverse people around post-violence health sector responses. Their review on this topic will inform new WHO guidelines on the health of trans and gender diverse people, and here they talk about the key themes they found.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00091-4/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_Jun_25_lanpsy

Andrea Iaboni on medications for anxiety in older adults

Wed, 14 May 2025 23:00:00 +0100

Which medications should be the first choice for prescribing for anxiety in older adults? Anxiety is common in older adults, but a lot of research on medication for anxiety is done in younger adults and doesn't take into account the different needs of and side-effects risks for older adults.

Andrea Iaboni talks with Sophia Davis about her group's review of medications for anxiety in older adults, discussing the evidence base to inform patients and clinicians on antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and other medications. This study is part of a series of reviews to help create new Canadian treatment guidelines; read more about the guidelines here: https://ccsmh.ca/areas-of-focus/anxiety/

Read the full Article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00100-2/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_May_25_eclinm

Philipp Klein on a digital intervention for borderline personality disorder

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 23:00:00 +0100

Sophia Davis, senior editor at The Lancet Psychiatry, discusses research on a new digital therapy for borderline personality disorder with Philipp Klein from the University of Lubeck, Germany.

This episode delves into the core experiences of borderline personality disorder, the innovative schema therapy-based digital intervention, and the results from the new study. Learn about the effectiveness, safety, and potential of digital therapies to affect mental health treatment, and their potential to reach more patients.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00063-X/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_15-04-25_lanpsy

Helene Speyer and Marte Ustrup on dissensus in lived experience research

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:00:00 +0000

Helene Speyer and Marte Ustrup talk with Sophia Davis about embracing dissensus in lived experience research.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00003-3?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Peter Fonagy on mentalisation-based treatment for antisocial personality disorder

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Peter Fonagy talks with Sophia Davis about a trial of mentalization-based treatment for antisocial personality disorder in men on community probation.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00445-0/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Mikkel Højlund on antipsychotics polypharmacy

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Sophia Davis talks to Mikkel Højlund about research into the prevalence and outcomes of antipsychotics polypharmacy.

Nguyen Tran and David Kinitz on conversion practices and mental health

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Nguyen Tran and David Kinitz talk with Sophia Davis about conversion practices for people of sexual and gender minorities and their mental health.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00251-7/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Marco Solmi, Manish Sood, and Nicholas Fabiano on eating disorders and electrolyte abnormalities

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Marco Solmi, Manish Sood, and Nicholas Fabiano join Sophia Davis to discuss electrolyte abnormalities in people with eating disorders and their association with physical health outcomes and mortality.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00244-X/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Frank Padberg and Stephan Goerigk on child maltreatment and psychotherapy

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Frank Padberg and Stephan Goerigk join Sophia Davis to discuss the effects of child maltreatment on psychotherapy for depression.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00209-8/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Ryan Van Patten on cognition in functional seizures

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Ryan Van Patten joins Sophia Davis to discuss cognitive performance in functional seizures.

Sebastian Wolf on exercise and mental health

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Sebastian Wolf joins Sophia Davis to discuss a transdiagnostic exercise intervention for mental health.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00069-5/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

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Jinah Park and Whanhee Lee on heat and emergency admissions

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:00:00 +0100

Jinah Park and Whanhee Lee join Sophia Davis to discuss the effects of increasing ambient temperature on hospital admissions for people with mental disorders and developmental disabilities.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00067-1/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Vincenzo Oliva on medications for psychotic depression

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Vincenzo Oliva joins Sophia Davis to discuss medications for psychotic depression.

Read the full systematic review:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(24)00006-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Maike Richter and Nils Opel on narcissistic traits

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Maike Richter and Nils Opel join Sophia Davis to discuss narcissistic traits and depressive symptoms in psychotherapy.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00293-6/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Lucy Stephenson, Astrid Gieselmann, and Matthé Scholten on self-binding directives

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 23:00:00 +0100

Lucy Stephenson, Astrid Gieselmann, and Matthé Scholten join Sophia Davis to discuss self-binding directives in psychiatric practice.

Read the full Review:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00221-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Gustavo Medeiros on brain-based correlates of antidepressant response to ketamine

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 17:00:00 +0100

Gustavo Medeiros joins Sophia Davis to discuss a review of brain-based correlates of antidepressant response to ketamine, using neuro-imaging studies.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00183-9/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Felicity Waite on psychological therapy for sleep problems in young people at risk of psychosis

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 23:00:00 +0100

Felicity Waite joins Sophia Davis to discuss a psychological therapy for sleep problems in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00203-1/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Joelle Mak and Ligia Kiss on psychosocial interventions for survivors of human trafficking

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0100

Assistant Professor Joelle Mak and Dr Ligia Kiss join Sophia Davis to discuss a new review of psychosocial interventions for survivors of human trafficking.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00105-0/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Rory O’Connor on premature mortality in people with mental illness

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:00:00 +0100

Professor Rory O’Connor joins Sophia Davis to discuss a paper on the Gone Too Soon project about premature mortality in people with mental illness or mental distress.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00058-5/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanpsy

Ian Wong on methylphenidate for children and adolescents with ADHD

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Professor Ian Wong joins Sophia Davis to discuss the research on methylphenidate for children and adolescents with ADHD.

Read the full article:
Long-term safety of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: 2-year outcomes of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) study

Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar on drug use and treatment services in the Eastern Mediterranean

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Professor Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar joins Sophia Davis to discuss the systematic review of drug use, drug use disorder, and treatment services in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Read the full article:
Drug use, drug use disorders, and treatment services in the Eastern Mediterranean region: a systematic review

Richard Morriss on cranial electrostimulation therapy for depression

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Professor Richard Morriss joins Sophia Davis to discuss a trial into cranial electrostimulation therapy with Alpha-Stim AID for people with depression.

Read the full article:
Clinical effectiveness of active Alpha-Stim AID versus sham Alpha-Stim AID in major depression in primary care in England (Alpha-Stim-D)

Protection or Paternalism?

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 02:00:00 +0000

Deputy Editor Dustin Graham talks with Sally McManus and co-authors of a Comment piece about ethical review committees and who gets to decide which questions are too risky for research.

Wellcome Global Monitor

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0100

We talk with Professor Miranda Wolpert, Director of Mental Health at Wellcome, about the Wellcome Global Monitor report and its implications for the future of mental health science.

Cultural Competency

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:00:00 +0100

Senior Editor Dustin Graham speaks with the authors of a newly published paper on the impact of race and ethnicity on patients' perspectives of their providers' cultural competency and what this means with clinical care.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00285-6/fulltext

ECT safety

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 23:00:00 +0100

Chief Editor Niall Boyce talks with Tyler Kaster about his groups' recent study looking at the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy for adults hospitalised with depression.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00168-1/fulltext

Debbie Challis on helping children deal with the aftermath of COVID-19

Thu, 20 May 2021 16:00:00 +0100

Dustin Graham talks with Dr Debbie Challis about the Fading Rainbows project and helping children deal with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

Erica Crompton on the importance of first-person stories

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Dustin Graham talks with Erica Crompton, journalist and mental health advocate, about the importance of publishing first-person stories from service users.

Michael Wright on mental health in Aboriginal communities

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Michael Wright discusses his groups efforts to work with Aboriginal communities in Western Australia to design better mental health services.

Kimberly Sue on increasing access to buprenorphine

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Dr Kimberly Sue discusses a new US policy making buprenorphine easier to prescribe for opioid addiction, and the challenges that remain for increasing access in practice.

Youth work environments

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Dustin Graham talks with Aaron Kandola about his group's recent Commission with the UK Wellcome Trust to understand how work environments can be improved for young workers' mental health. You can see the Commission at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/excessive-occupational-sitting-and-mental-health-young-people

Off-radar youth

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

COVID-19 related lockdowns can exacerbate problems for children and young people at risk of abuse. Niall Boyce discusses this with Laura Fischer and Jane Chevous how we can improve outreach and empowerment, and help make sure at-risk youth stay on our radars.

If a patient dies by suicide

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000

We talk with Dr Rachel Gibbons about the challenges that clinicians face in the wake of losing a patient to suicide, and the support we should provide.