Psych Matters

The Section of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry is comprised of a small group of psychiatrists from around Australia and New Zealand. It is an active section that hosts the only annual Youth Forensic conference worldwide. In this podcast, members of the binational committee for Child and Adolescent Youth Forensic Psychiatry discuss violence in Youth.
Their discussions will include the historical context in which rates of violence currently exist, the link between violence and various mental health, personality and neurodevelopmental diagnostic groups, and some specific violence interventions being developed in Melbourne.
They also talk about assessing risk of violence and the tools that they sometimes use to assess risk and target areas for intervention. While this is a relatively narrow specialist topic, the point around considering strengths when assessing risk in the absence of known adult function is emphasised during the podcast.
Dr James Gardiner
Chair of NZ Branch of the Section of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry.

Dr Adam Deacon
Consultant Forensic Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Alfred Health - Youth Forensic Specialist Service

Associate Professor John Kasinathan
MBBS (Hons I; Syd), M.Psychiatry, FRANZCP, Cert. Forensic Psych., M.FMH (UNSW), Cert. Child Adol. Psych.
Consultant Forensic, Child, Adolescent and Generalist Psychiatrist
Conjoint Associate Professor, UNSW Medicine
Clinical Director Adolescent Mental Health, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, NSW Health
Medical Director Adolescent and Young Adult Program, Northside Clinic St Leonards

Associate Professor Scott Harden
Medical Director Forensic Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Queensland Children’s Hospital and Health Service
Child, Adolescent and Adult Forensic Psychiatrist
Assisting Psychiatrist Qld Mental Health Court

Dr Enys Delmage
Consultant Adolescent Forensic Psychiatrist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Otago University

Dr Brendan Daugherty
Consultant Child and Adolescent, General Adult and Forensic Psychiatrist
Staff Specialist in Adolescent Mental Health, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, NSW
Visiting Medical Officer, Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, NT

Dr Annie Parsons
Child, Adolescent and Forensic Psychiatrist
Cobham Youth Justice Centre & Adolescent Court and Community Team,
Adolescent Mental Health, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

Dr Ben Bravery started life as a zoologist, working to save animals from extinction across the globe. Though at 28-years-old, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and confronted with the prospect of his own destruction. Ben’s journey from scientist to cancer patient, and now to psychiatry trainee is documented in his memoir The Patient Doctor. On the topics of compassion, system design, and medical education, Ben speaks with the conviction of someone who has lived on both sides of the doctor patient relationship. In this episode of Psych Matters, Ben is in conversation with Dr Elizabeth Moore and Dr Ollie Robertson; it is equal parts storytelling and education that appeals to anyone with an interest in life, not simply medicine or psychiatry.
Dr Ben Bravery, originally a zoologist and science communicator, worked for the Australian and Chinese governments before being diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age twenty-eight. After undergoing eighteen months of cancer treatment, Ben decided on a career change. He became a doctor in 2018 and is now undertaking training in psychiatry. Ben volunteers, advocates, writes and speaks about colorectal cancer, living with cancer, cancer in young adults, medicine and medical education, and is committed to advocating for change in Australia's healthcare system. His memoir, called The Patient Doctor, was published in July 2022.
Dr Elizabeth Moore is the Coordinator General of the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing and the President elect of the RANZCP.
Dr Ollie Robertson is a psychiatry trainee, and host of The Thought Broadcast from Australasian Psychiatry

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

This episode explores the work of psychiatrists in government, private practice and research for the population of military and veteran personnel in Australia. The conversation covers various specialist fields in psychiatry, including trauma-related disorders, substance abuse and forensic work. A/Prof Jon Lane, Leonie Nowland, Dr Alex Lim and Prof Jenny Firman discuss their experiences in private practice and its unique challenges and opportunities. They also highlight the role of Open Arms, a national counselling service for the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA), in providing culturally aware and trauma-informed care.
A/Prof Jon Lane, FRANZCP, MBBS (Hons), PhD, has been in the Army since 1989 and is also an Afghanistan veteran. He is a clinician in private practice, as well as holding several different roles. These include being a Consultant Psychiatrist for the DVA and Open Arms; the Psychiatry Lead for the University of Tasmania School of Medicine; and has adjunct appointments and research projects with the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation. He is also the current Chair of the College's Military and Veterans' Emergency Services Personnel Mental Health Network.
Leonie Nowland is the First Assistant Secretary of Open Arms. Leonie has a wealth of experience working in critical roles in mental health across the State and Commonwealth public sectors and in the private sector in the UK and New Zealand. Leonie’s move to the role of First Assistant Secretary of Open Arms, is the culmination of many years’ experience in the mental health sector and she brings to the role a strong background as a mental health administrator and clinician, with a focus on community mental health.
Dr Alexander Yick-Chern Lim is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at the University of Queensland, and Co-Founder, Director and Chief Medical Officer of Zed3 Medical Group, a nationwide mental healthcare services provider. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Zed3 Specialist Centre, and is engaged with policy, research and education in the field of serving and ex-serving uniformed personnel healthcare with a focus on precision medicine. Dr Lim is a member of the Military, Veterans' and Emergency Services Personnel Mental Health Network at the RANZCP.
Professor Jenny Firman AM joined the Royal Australian Navy as a medical student and over the next 22 years of full time service was posted to a range of positions in the Navy and Australian Defence Force. After leaving the full time Navy she spent a decade in the Australian Government Department of Health working on communicable diseases and health emergencies. In 2019 she was appointed as the Chief Health Officer in the DVA.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

In this episode of Psych Matters, Members of the RANZCP Military, Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel Mental Health Network engage in a lively discussion of how to improve assessment of current serving members and ex-serving veterans of the Australian Defence Force. This includes conducting a tailored history-taking process that includes specific aspects of service and transition to civilian life. Practical guidance for clinicians on specific details to consider and address during assessment is covered. Comorbid conditions, chronic pain and the needs of both women and older veterans are also discussed.
Speakers:
Dr Wallace was appointed to his current position as psychiatrist at the Australian Defence Force Centre for Mental Health, at HMAS Penguin, Sydney, in 2010. In March 2018, he was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the RANZCP Military and Veterans’ Mental Health Network and is now a member of the RANZCP Military, Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel Network Committee. He has been a Visiting Medical Officer at St John of God Hospital, North Richmond since 2015 and is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at the University of NSW.Lieutenant Colonel Diana McKay is a fulltime psychiatrist in the Australian Army. She has worked in public and private civilian practice as an adult psychiatrist, with special interest in trauma and anxiety disorders, perinatal psychiatry and clinical education. She is a member of the RANZCP Military, Veterans’ and Emergency Services Personnel Mental Health Network Committee. She is Honorary Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences at Macquarie University. Dr Tom Turvey is a senior advanced trainee in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry. He has an interest in matters of military psychiatry which stems from his Father and his 7 siblings all being military and having spent the last 2 years being specifically involved and trained in military psychiatry. Tom is a member of the RANZCP Military Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel Network and a member of the Australian Military Medicine Association.Resources:

Wallace D, Lane J, Heffernan K, Nas Jones C. Australian military and veterans’ mental health care: improving assessment of military personnel and veterans. Australasian Psychiatry. 2021 Apr;29(2):153-6.

Lane J and Wallace D. Australian Military and Veteran’s Mental Health Care, Part 1: An Introduction to Cultural Essentials for Clinicians. Australasian Psychiatry 2020: 28 (3), 267-269.

Shepard B. A war of nerves: Soldiers and psychiatrists in the twentieth century. Harvard University Press; 2001.

Phoenix Australia’s 2020 Australian Guidelines for the Management of PTSD and CPTSD

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.

In this episode of Psych Matters, Dr Andrew Amos and Professor Valsamma Eapen discuss the neurodevelopmental disorder, Tourette Syndrome.
Professor Valsamma Eapen is Professor and Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney and Head, Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry and Director of BestSTART Child Health Academic Unit at Southwest Sydney. She is Director of Early Years Program, Autism Cooperative Research Centre and Stream Director of Early Life Determinants of Health Clinical Academic Group within SPHERE, a NHMRC accredited Advanced Health Research Translation Centre. She is known internationally for her expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and Tourette Syndrome. She is part of major research programs totalling 40 million in funding and has authored over 300 peer reviewed publications.
Links:
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrdp201697
Nature Reviews Disease Primers 3, Article number: 16097 (2017) volume 3, Article number: 16097 (2017)
https://www.nature.com/nrdp/
Tourette Syndrome in children. Valsamma Eapen and Tim Usherwood, Australian Journal of General Practice, 50 (3), 120-125 (2021).
https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2021/march/tourette-syndrome-in-children
Children with Tourette Syndrome and Covid-19
https://tourette.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TS-COVID-19_Resource_2020.pdf
Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia
https://tourette.org.au/
Tourette Association of America
https://tourette.org/

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.