Blog

MedFest 2020

Medfest is an international medical film festival taking place at Universities around the UK and the world Founded by Kamran Ahmed over 10 years ago MedFest has an evolving scope but its key aims remain: To explore the relationship between medicine and film To raise awareness of stigmatised conditions and peoples To enjoy film and […]

Take part in the Autism Core Capabilities rEPosiTory (ACCEPT) study

Maudsley Learning, King’s College London (KCL), and the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) are working with Health Education England on a national project. This project entails identifying and sharing a range of approaches to support health, social care and public facing workforces across England to use the Core Capabilities Framework for Supporting Autistic People (2019). By doing so, we and HEE hope to improve the […]

Understanding the needs of healthcare workers returning to work following COVID-19

Understanding the needs of healthcare workers returning to work following COVID-19 COVID-19 has created a multitude of impacts for healthcare workers across the country. While restrictions continue to be lifted in day-to-day life, the aftermath of the first peak within the healthcare system is evident and growing. More than 15,000 healthcare staff temporarily returned to […]

Digital simulation: Maudsley Simulation launch online mental health training

Context  Over the past few months, many of us have become fluent in video conferencing as it has now established a firm place in our daily lives. Although we learnt this language the hard way, we have relied on it heavily to connect with friends and family. In our personal lives, it became a safe […]

Using Augmented Reality (AR) to reduce restrictive practices through promoting empathy; a Burdett Trust for Nursing funded project 

This novel nurse-led education and research project, which is funded by The Burdett Trust for Nursing, empowers the mental health nursing workforce to lead multi-disciplinary clinical teams to develop their skills and practice, to reduce restrictive interventions. Our vision is of compassionate nurse-led clinical teams who feel skilled, empowered and connected to reduce the use of restrictive practices and improve the […]

The importance and need for intellectual disability training

Improving clinical practice through simulation training on intellectual disabilities: a longitudinal study Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience comorbid physical and mental illnesses and have poorer health outcomes, resulting in early mortality of 15-20 years when compared to the general public. This inequality is distressing, particularly as it is preventable and avoidable with good quality health […]

Student Mental Health: The Role and Training Needs of Academic Staff

Student Mental Health: The Role and Training Needs of Academic Staff   Student reported mental health and well-being has faced a decline over the past years, leading us to the current national student mental health ‘crisis’. This issue has never been more important than during Covid-19, as new and exacerbated mental health needs in the […]

A guide to supporting families during Covid-19

A guide to supporting families during Covid-19 Families come in all different sizes and forms, and will be meeting the challenges of Covid-19 in their own unique ways. As some schools open this week, a new platform of challenge will be experienced in what emerging from lockdown looks like – as much as our entry […]

Relationships and Support during Covid-19

Relationships and Support during Covid-19   Relationships can be a source of great support through life changing events, yet they can also be put under strain. Since entering the pandemic, I have seen countless articles noting the risk period of Covid-19 for our personal connections and how to cope if you’re in a relationship. As […]

SlowMo Therapy and slowing down Covid-19 stress

A PIONEERING digital therapy for treating paranoia has been expanded to help people manage stress and mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Joining the British scientific community’s rally as the coronavirus spread, the scientists behind SlowMo built an easy access webpage (slowmo therapy) for helping people manage stress. It comes after the team completed the […]

Pregnancy and partnership well-being in a pandemic

Pregnancy and partnership well-being in a pandemic I have been working with mums and babies for the last year voluntarily in a perinatal psychotherapy service, working with couples for around five years as a relationship counsellor and am currently 31 weeks pregnant. 7 weeks ago, when the World Health Organisation declared we were in a […]

Student mental health during Covid-19 (and beyond) 

Around the world, the current pandemic is shifting the larger public discourse around improving access to public health resources, and rightly so. Within our immediate communities of family, friends, and neighbours, meanwhile, it has refocused our attention on vulnerable older people and those with physical illnesses who are most at risk. However, there is another […]

Mental and physical well-being resources during the Covid-19 lockdown

Mental and Physical Well-being During the Covid-19 Lockdown   Lockdown has required us to make significant changes to our lives and lifestyles and created a great deal of uncertainty for many people. Those of us working in mental health services have obviously been concerned about how our patients, who are already struggling significantly, will cope […]

Psychological theories about vivid and bizarre dreaming during lockdown

Psychological theories about vivid and bizarre dreaming during lockdown Every night we lay our heads down and drift away into a state of unconsciousness, our muscles entirely paralysed with the exception of eyes, and yet, when we wake we often report experiences of the vivid and bizarre journeys we undertake in our dreams. Since countries […]

Developing the therapeutic relationship remotely 

Developing the therapeutic relationship remotely   With the current ongoing pandemic, many of us are managing consults and therapy sessions remotely. Aside from working for Maudsley Learning I also work as a relationship counsellor and have moved my practice web-based. Here I will consider some streamlined general reflections since moving remote, and in respect of the […]

Covid-19 and sleep: maintaining a healthy cycle during lockdown

With the work-life balance of most individuals shifted due to restrictions regarding Covid-19, many may find themselves faced with difficulty in getting a good night’s rest. After news of placing the country on lockdown came on the 23rd March, #cantsleep began trending on the popular social media platform Twitter. Factors that may be affecting why […]

NHS Nightingale project

In the space of just over a week, the The ExCeL centre in London’s Docklands has been transformed into a field hospital, NHS Nightingale – providing additional critical care capacity for London and further afield. In the nine days it took to set up, the 87,328 square metres of double exhibition halls have been fitted […]

Maintaining your well-being whilst working from home

All of us have been dealing with lifestyle changes in the last few weeks, since the national social distancing measures have been brought in. Many of our colleagues in the NHS have continued to travel to clinical work every day to face the frontline of the battle against the Covid-19 virus, along with other key workers […]

Supporting doctors to return to clinical practice after absence: tackling psychological barriers

In 2011, 71.3% of junior doctors moved on to complete higher training. This dropped to 50.4% is 2016, and went further down to 37.7% in 2018 according to BMJ. The retention of our NHS staff has never been more important as we face the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it seems of utmost importance that the issues […]

Maintaining health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic: Online event with King’s College London

Our partners, IoPPN at King’s College London ran an online event with brief 5-8 minute presentations on how to maintain health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic, using psychology theory and evidence. Don’t worry if you missed it, you can find all the presentations below. The event covered the following topics: Do I or don’t […]