S3E6 - Why is North East England so mentally unwell? With Alisdair Cameron

12/06/24 • 27 min

Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast

North East England has the highest per capita use of antidepressant use in England and Wales and has had the highest suicide rate in England for 3 out of the past 4 years.
We are joined by Alasdair Cameron, co-director of Newcastle-based independent mental health charity ReCoco, to explore why.
We explore regional socio-economic factors impacting mental well-being, the inflexibility in mental health services between urban and rural areas, and ReCoco's peer-led initiatives to support those struggling. The episode also touches upon the potential for regional solutions through increased devolution and the need for community-driven support systems.
00:00 Introduction to Lively Minds Podcast
00:46 Mental Health Challenges in North East England
01:11 Interview with Alastair Cameron
01:36 Understanding the Mental Health Landscape
04:09 Socio-Economic Factors and Mental Health
06:01 Bespoke Approaches for Mental Health
10:10 The Role of ReCoco
18:22 Devolution and Mental Health
26:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Here is the video Will mentions that talks about how reluctant London’s local authorities were to relinquish power to the London Region.
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Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website livelymindspod.com

Previous Episode

S3E5 - Art and mental health, with Doll

How can art be used as a therepeutic tool to navigate types of grief that go beyond death and bereavement?
This is just one of the questions covered in our conversation with Doll - an artist, who shares their story of using their artistic practice to navigate their mental health experience.
Discussing their eclectic artistic practices—from sketchbooks to sculpture and crochet—Doll elaborates on how these forms of expression have helped them communicate their inner struggles, and become therepeutic practices in their own right.
You can find out more about Doll and their work at
https://www.instagram.com/dollwithabun/
https://www.creatingconversations.co.uk/
https://outsidein.org.uk/galleries/doll/
Also a link to Doesthedogdie.com
https://www.doesthedogdie.com/
Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds
Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website livelymindspod.com

Next Episode

S3E7 - The shift to online peer support, with Ellie

Ellie's just had a research paper published!
In today's episode we discuss how can we learn from the impact that COVID-19 had on mental health peer support groups being forced to transition to online formats?
Ellie shares insights from her research conducted at the University of Liverpool, focusing on the experiences of Hearing Voices Network facilitators.
Key themes include the rapid shift to Zoom, issues of access to technology, changes in facilitator roles, and the dynamics of peer support. The conversation also explores the benefits and challenges of online peer support, digital exclusion, and the future of grassroots mental health care.
You can read Ellie's full paper by clicking here.
Follow @livelymindspod on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more at https://www.bio.link/livelyminds
Please note that this show does not constitute medical advice and is not a replacement for seeking professional help. You can find our more about the show and get signposting to support on our website livelymindspod.com