How Do We Manage?

According to the World Health Organisation, one in seven adolescents globally experiences a mental health disorder. Depression and anxiety are some of the leading causes of illness in teenagers. But what can we do as parents to help?

Dr Beth Mosley is a consultant clinical psychologist who works with children, young adults and their families everyday. Her book ‘Happy Families’ is a guide to supporting your child’s mental health. She joins Stephanie on this week’s episode to tell us how we can support a child through anxiety; how to communicate with teenagers to help them feel confident; and how to set boundaries.

Resources & Links

Buy Beth’s book ‘Happy Families: How To Protect And Support Your Child’s Mental Health’

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health it is always best to contact your GP. You can also seek guidance through charities such as YoungMinds and Barnardos (UK) and Child Mind Institute (US).

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck

Guest: Dr Beth Mosley

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios

Childbirth is something that many women will experience, and yet if you speak to them you’ll find their experiences vary wildly, from stories of pure elation to ones that are far more traumatic. Women are told to plan for the birth they want and yet they rarely get to have it. So what are we getting wrong?

Megan Rossiter is the founder of Birth Ed - an antenatal programme that is designed to help women have more agency in the birthing process. Her recent book, ‘Birth Power’ is a guide to what happens in your body during pregnancy and childbirth; the maternity healthcare system; and how to think critically about the care you are offered. She doesn’t advocate for a particular type of birth, but rather that women should be able to have the birth that they want.

In this episode Megan explains the history of maternity care and why it’s getting worse, and she helps us understand how we can have power in the birthing process by being confident in knowing what our bodies need, and how to navigate when things don’t go to plan.

Resources & Links 

The Birth Ed Method: https://birth-ed.co.uk/

Buy Megan’s book ‘Birth Power’

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Megan Rossiter

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios

Did you know that, according to a study by the University of Liverpool, as many as 16.5% of hospital admissions in the UK are caused by adverse reactions to medication? Or that most prescription drugs work for less than half the population? We can be very willing to take the medicines that are prescribed for us, but how much do we really know about what we are ingesting?

Dr Nick Barber is Emeritus Professor of Pharmacy at UCL, and the author of a new book called, ‘How To Take Drugs: A New Approach to Medication for Better Results and Fewer Side Effects’, in which he looks at the flaws in the prescription system and how you, as a patient, can have the utmost agency to decide which drugs are right for you to take.

Today he joins Stephanie in the studio to tell us about the efficacy of prescription drugs; the systems we can use to determine if what we’re taking is working for us; when we should be worried about the side effects; and whether the expensive painkillers really do any better than the cheap ones.

Resources & Links 

If you are taking prescription drugs and have any queries about what you are taking, it is important that you seek out professional medical help from your doctor.

Buy ‘How To Take Drugs’ by Dr Nick Barber here

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Dr Nick Barber

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios

In recent weeks the British government has announced that social media will be banned for under 16s. Australia implemented their own ban last year. Social media bans have attracted mixed reviews; some say that they will keep children safe, others say it takes the responsibility away from the big tech companies.

Our guest today helps us to understand what social media bans are, and what the effects of them could be. Harry Dyer is a digital sociologist and lecturer at the University of East Anglia. He researches the impact of social media on identity and education - particularly in children. We live in a world that has adopted social media as a part of daily life - so is completely removing it from our kid’s lives just delaying their digital education? And kids are savvy, does banning it mean they won’t find a way to use it?

In this episode we’ll learn what it means to be a ‘digital native’ - and why that term is unhelpful; why digital education isn’t currently up to scratch; and what children are doing to get around social media bans in the countries that have already put them in place.

Resources & Links 

Information on the upcoming UK social media ban

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Harry Dyer

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios

How we navigate the future in an uncertain world is tricky. But for this week’s guest it is her job. Amy Webb is a futurist; someone who uses data, evidence and methodology to predict multiple plausible outcomes for the future. Amy is the CEO of Future Today Strategy Group, who advise leaders and businesses on how to strategise for potential outcomes. She publishes an annual ‘Convergence Outlook’; a report that looks at the multitude of trends, how they collide and the storms they might create.

So what can we learn from a futurist about how to weather any upcoming storms? Stephanie speaks to Amy Webb about how AI might affect both our professional and personal lives; what the safest jobs and skills of the future are; and the importance of remaining curious about life.

Resources & Links 

Future Today Strategy Group: https://ftsg.com/

Host: Stephanie von Bismarck 

Guest: Amy Webb

Producer: Holly Fisher

Production Manager: Angela Crago 

Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino 

The series was recorded and edited at PodShop studios