Coping with COVID podcast

Niamh graduated in Medicine in 2021 and was Wellbeing rep for LivPsych last year. Last Christmas, she wrote a blogpost about the “12 Days of Wellbeing”, including the Ultimate Boxing Day Sandwich: https://mindinconversation.wordpress.com/2020/12/23/niamhs-12-days-of-wellbeing/

If you’re a medical, nursing or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Medical students have made a vital contribution to the COVID vaccination programme in Liverpool There have been lots of challenges along the way, but it has transformed many people’s lives and is changing how healthcare is delivered. In this episode Helen talks to Aileen, who recently graduated in medicine and worked as a vaccinator, and Rachel Stead who coordinates the programme.

The Guardian article Rachel refers to is here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/04/inspiring-confidence-liverpool-gps-tackle-the-vaccine-race-gap

Episode 21 has more discussion about COVID misinformation and conspiracy theories.

After a break in podcast episodes, we’re back with a second series. Things are very different to when we were releasing podcast episodes before, but we are still “Coping with COVID” in various ways.

In this episode, Helen is joined by Henry, who recently graduated in Medicine. He talks about some of the situations he found most difficult during his final year, and the feeling of having ‘missed out’ that I’m sure many of us can relate to.

If you’re a medical, nursing or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, AHP and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/

Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123   jo@samaritans.org   www.samaritans.org

 

Helen discusses resilience with Dr Warren Donnellan. Warren talks about the ecological model of resilience and identifying the resources that can help us through challenging times.
Here are links to the two papers that Warren refers to in the podcast:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607863.2014.977771?journalCode=camh20

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2016.1209734

Here are two podcast episodes in which Warren discusses carer resilience in particular:
https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/podcast/episode/210f92f1/bonus-research-episode-dr-warren-donnellan

https://www.buzzsprout.com/775076/5723926-6-dr-warren-donnellan

In this episode, Helen is joined by Etienne, a third year diagnostic radiography student who has worked and been on placement in the NHS during COVID-19. We talked about how placements have been different during the pandemic, and what parts of the experience have stood out for her.

If you’re a medical, nursing or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying, please get in touch with us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk
University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/
Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)
NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/
Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org  https://www.samaritans.org

In this episode, Helen talks to Danny Blair, a Lecturer in Radiotherapy at the University of Liverpool. They discuss the importance of social connections, how the Radiotherapy Department have been supporting students during COVID-19, and Danny shares his tips for hosting a great Zoom quiz.

We’d love to hear your feedback and experiences. You can contact us at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

• MacArthur, K. R., & Sikorski, J. (2020). A qualitative analysis of the coping reservoir model of pre-clinical medical student well-being: Human connection as making it “worth it.” BMC Medical Education, 20(1).

https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-020-02067-8

• Kahoot! Quiz software https://kahoot.com/

• Chocolate bar cross-sections quiz https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8251229/The-great-chocdown-quiz.html

The following support services are available over the Christmas holidays:

• Student Space - https://studentspace.org.uk/wellbeing/the-christmas-break call free between 3pm and 12am every day on 0808 189 5260

• PAPYRUS is the UK Charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35). For PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK call 0800 068 4141 (open 9am - midnight every day of the week)

• You can text SHOUT https://giveusashout.org/ free of charge from any UK mobile network and get confidential advice and support straight to your mobile

• If you are ill, you can contact your GP, or visit a Walk In Centre or pharmacy. Information and advice about NHS services is available at https://www.nhs.uk/. If you need help now, but it’s not an emergency, visit https://111.nhs.uk/ or call 111.

• If you need to talk to someone in confidence the Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ have a 24 hour line which is free to call: 116 123.

In this episode, Helen is joined by Dr Dean Burnett, a neuroscientist and author. They talk about the effect on our mental wellbeing of spending time outdoors or with a view of nature, and the new appreciation many of us have for going outside after lockdown and self-isolation.

We’d love to hear your feedback and experiences. You can contact us at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

• A blogpost by Dean on The Benefits of Outside https://cosmicshambles.com/words/blogs/deanburnett/mental-health-hacks-three
• The study Dean mentioned about greenspace, mental health and COVID-19: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2248
• A study looking at mental health, lockdown severity, and access to outdoor spaces during COVID-19: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972037515X

Books by Dean:
• Psycho-Logical https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/Psycho-Logical--Why-Mental-Health-Goes-Wrong---and-How-to-Make-Sense-of-It/25440016 or on Audible: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Psycho-logical-Audiobook/B07XTN8J38?qid=1607943221&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=VX01CXB1QQ8T41VBP4AT
• The Happy Brain https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Cardiff-University-Burnett/Happy-Brain--Where-Happiness-Comes-From-and-Why/23092199
• The Idiot Brain https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dean-Burnett/The-Idiot-Brain--A-Neuroscientist-Explains-What-Your-Head-is-Really-Up-To/20508227

Helen is joined by Professor Vicky Karkou, Director for the Research Centre for Arts and Wellbeing at Edge Hill University. Lots of us have been dancing, singing, painting, cooking, gardening, and doing craft projects during COVID-19. In this episode we talk about how arts and creativity benefit our mental wellbeing, the research evidence in this area, and how they can be used therapeutically.

You can contact us at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Mentioned in this episode:

The Arts for the Blues website is here: https://artsfortheblues.com/

Publications (including the Cochrane reviews mentioned in the episode) are listed here: https://artsfortheblues.com/publications

 

In this episode, Helen is joined by Professor Laurence Alison and Emily Alison, to revisit the topic of resilience (episode 2). We talk about the four pillars of resilience: health, purpose, joy and feedback, and think about strategies to help us keep going after months of challenges and uncertainty.

More information about resilience and stress, including the content by Colonel Steve Kleinman, can be found on the Project ARES website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/project-ares/

To find out more about resilience, this is a link to an article exploring these concepts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4185134/

We’d like the podcast to respond to the challenges you’re facing, so please get in touch with your questions and concerns at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

In this episode, Helen is joined by Luke, a junior doctor who worked as a sub-FY1 in the NHS at the end of his final year of medical school. We talked about what it’s been like, the things that have helped him to cope, and the importance of looking out for each other.

If you’re a medical, nursing or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:
School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/
Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org www.samaritans.org

In this episode Suzi speaks to Tom West, head of operations in one of the University’s institutes, about how he changed how he consumed news, after finding it was impacting on his mental health. This includes an exploration of the evidence around how news can affect us, strategies he found worked for him, and how the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with these.

Some useful links:

Here’s the initial findings from the UCL study Tom mentions
“Increased time spent on following news about COVID 19 predicted declines in mental health and wellbeing”
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.18.20177345v1

Which is taken from a whole amazing longitudinal research study, with regular reports on the data along the way: https://www.covidsocialstudy.org/

A couple of articles on why we tend to view the current state of the world more negatively, but view the past through a positive bias, which makes us feel that everything is getting worse, and the role the news plays in this dynamic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/why-2020-feels-like-the-worst-year-ever/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-brain/201909/how-negative-news-distorts-our-thinking

Also, for people who are trying to engage critically with the news in an age of relentless conspiracy theorieshttps://www.snopes.com/ is an excellent fact checking website. It’s quite heavily US-orientated, but it’s a great way to very quickly check whether a wild claim is true, and undertakes some excellent analysis of the origin and spread of certain conspiracy theories (https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/10/15/film-your-hospital-the-anatomy-of-a-covid-19-conspiracy-theory/)

 

Suzi and Helen look back on the highlights and challenges of starting a podcast in a pandemic. Find out why we created the podcast, what we’ve learnt, our plans for the future, and how this podcast has helped our mental health.

We love hearing your feedback, ideas and questions: our email address is covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Medical students and graduates share what they wish someone had told them when they started medical school. We’ve made this episode particularly for the first-year medics starting University during COVID restrictions, but I think it’s useful for us all to reflect on what we’ve learnt about looking after our mental health.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent in audio clips for this episode. Also, Dr Luke Flain for finding contributors, and Dr Suzi Gage for editing.

If you’d like to get in touch, our email address is covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool)https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/

Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org www.samaritans.org

In this episode, Helen is joined by Dr Richard Latten, Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Deputy Director of the Wellbeing Team at the University of Liverpool School of Medicine. Richard talks about his experiences working clinically during COVID-19, including uncertainty, the different phases of the pandemic, and a request from a patient.

If you’d like to get in touch, our email address is covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk, we’d love to hear your feedback.

The BPS briefing paper on psychological responses in healthcare staff during different phases of the pandemic is available here: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/psychological-needs-healthcare-staff-result-coronavirus-pandemic

In this episode Helen is joined by Dr Julie Hanna, Director of Studies for the Occupational Therapy programme at the University of Liverpool.

Julie talks about what mindfulness is, how it can be incorporated into your life, and why it could be particularly useful to students at the moment.

The episode also includes a guided mindfulness meditation to try.

References & resources mentioned in this episode: Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990, 2013) Full Catastrophe Living. London: Piatkus. Morgan, P., Simpson, J., & Smith, A. (2014).

Health Care Workers’ Experiences of Mindfulness Training: a Qualitative Review. Mindfulness, 1-15, doi:10.1007/s12671-014-0313-3. Poys, W. T. M., Meulenbeek, P. A. M., Veehof, M. M. Klungers, J. and Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2014)

The efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy as a Public Mental health Intervention for Adults with Mild to Moderate Depressive Symptomatology: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PloS ONE, 9 (10), 1-12 Using handwashing as a prompt for mindfulness: https://www.tenpercent.com/meditationweeklyblog/meditation-and-coronavirus

The Headspace App: https://www.headspace.com/

Julie also recommends: Williams, M. and Penman, D. (2011) Mindfulness, a Practical Guide to Finding Mindfulness in a Frantic World. London: Hachette Digital Wax, R. (2016)

A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled http://mindfulnessforstudents.co.uk/resources/mindfulness-resources-for-students/

http://franticworld.com/ https://www.oxfordmindfulness.org/

In this episode Suzi is joined by junior doctor and comedian Matthew Hutchinson to talk about conspiracy theories around covid, and healthcare more generally. Matt provides great insight in to why people might hold these conspiracy theories, and also offers advice on when and how to challenge them, and when it's better not to engage.

Here are some links:

I love this clip from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - offers some research and some great advice at the end https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b_eHBZLM6U

Here’s a brief summary of common conspiracy theory belief structure - https://www.lse.ac.uk/PBS/Research/Research-archive/The-conspiratorial-worldview

Article on speaking to conspiracy theorists - https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/15/1004950/how-to-talk-to-conspiracy-theorists-and-still-be-kind/

Helen is joined by Dr Teodora Manea Hauskeller, Lecturer in Clinical Ethics at the School of Medicine, University of Liverpool. They talk about the ethics of care during the pandemic, and how themes in the student experience episodes (5, 8, 11, 15 & 16) illustrate these concepts: considering the effects of PPE, visiting restrictions, and technology through a lens of medical ethics and philosophy.

Mentioned in this episode:

M. Barnes, Care in Everyday Life. An ethic of care in practice, Bristol: Policy Press, 2012.
R. Barthes, Camera Lucida. Reflections on Photography, tr., R. Howard, London: Vintage Books, 2000.
B. Fisher, J.C. Tronto, ‘Toward a Feminist Theory of Caring’, in Circles of Care, (E.K. Abel, M. Nelson (eds), Albany: SUNY Press, 1990.
A. Giddens, Modernity and Self-identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Cambridge: Polity Press, 1991.
M. Heidegger, Being and Time, Oxford: Blackwell, 1967.
V. Held, The Ethics of Care. Personal, Political and Global (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
E. Levinas, Ethics and Infinity, tr. R. Cohen, R.A. Cohen, Duquesne University Press, 1985.
J.C. Tronto, Moral Boundaries. A politic argument for an ethic of care, London and New York: Routledge, 1993.
* For Hundertwasser ‘skins’ see: https://hundertwasser.com/en/applied-art/apa382_mens_five_skins_1975
The new School of Medicine Ethics modules:https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/medicine/study-with-us/cpd/courses-and-modules/appliedethicsforclinicalpracticei/

Suzi is joined by Vicky Thornton, who is the Head of Nursing at the University of Liverpool, to talk about moral distress and moral injury – two related concepts whereby a person feels unable to act in a way that aligns with their morals due to circumstances beyond their control - and the pressure or strain this can place on a person, as well as providing advice as to how to manage such feelings.

Some recommended reading for people who want to know more:

Moral Injury in Times of COVID-19 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42843-020-00011-4

Occupational Medicine editorial about covid and moral injury https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/70/5/317/5814939

BMC Medical Ethics article about covid and conflicting ethics advice https://bmcmedethics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12910-020-00491-5

Special issue on moral injury in the Journal of Traumatic Stress https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jts.22405

An article about covid and mental health impacts https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/inm.12726

Helen is joined by Imogen, who has just graduated in medicine. She talks about her experience of working as a sub-FY1 in the NHS, feeling anxious about catching COVID-19, and what it was like when that actually happened.

If you’re a medical, nursing, physician associate or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:
School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/
Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org www.samaritans.org
Papyrus 0800 068 41 41 https://papyrus-uk.org/

In this episode, Helen is joined by Carys, who has just graduated in medicine and has been shielding during COVID-19. She talks about the challenges of shielding and how she adapted her expectations, the things that have helped her to cope and what she’s gained from something that initially felt negative and restrictive.

If you’d like to get in touch with us, our email address is covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Suzi is joined by Professor Pauline Slade, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Liverpool. Suzi and Pauline discuss the challenges for students managing and processing distressing experiences while working during Covid (and more generally). Pauline provides information and reassurance about what initial responses to trauma can look like, and advice for those worried about post traumatic stress disorder as to how to manage symptoms, and when and where to seek support.

Some useful links for those seeking more information:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/post-traumatic-stress-disorder
https://www.bps.org.uk/what-psychology/dealing-trauma
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/ptsd.htm

In this episode, Helen is joined by Hannah, a 3rd year student nurse. Hannah talks about how she felt well-supported by her family, friends, lecturers, and colleagues while working in the NHS during COVID-19.

Student nurses at the University of Liverpool have played an active role in caring for patients during the pandemic. The interviews with Hannah (this episode), Megan (episode 11) and Duncan (episode 5) give an insight into their experiences and show how this cohort of students have risen to the challenge.

If you’d like to get in touch with us, our email address is covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Information on the Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Liverpool is available here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/nursing-bn-hons/overview/

Suzi is joined by Dr Paula Byrne, the lead for PSM on the medical degree at the University of Liverpool. In this episode they discuss the concept of ‘feeling terrified’, in part inspired by an email we received from a student who is nervous about going back in to hospitals in September. In the episode Paula discusses why feeling terrified can be a normal response, and how to manage those feelings.

Below are links to some useful resources that Paula mentions during the episode:

• https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/overcome-fear-anxiety
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/ways-relieve-stress/
• https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/decatastrophizing (this website has a worksheet to work through on catastrophizing)
• https://oce-ovid-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/article/00002800-202007000-00010/HTML watching nature documentaries can help…
• https://link-springer-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/article/10.1007/s11469-020-00330-z other students feel the same.
•https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=9cf27856-a040-459a-b3e7-290bf22deb8f%40sessionmgr101 unpicking infodemics

In this episode Helen talks to Shantanu, a second year medical student who founded the Be Free campaign. He has recently been given The Diana Award for his work promoting positive mental health and reducing stigma around mental health problems. You can find more information on the Be Free campaign on their website: https://www.befreecampaign.org/

https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2020/07/01/student-receives-award-in-memory-of-princess-diana/

This episode is especially for medical students revising for exams postponed by COVID-19 (but it may be useful to other students too!). Chris Huntley talks to Helen about evidence-based strategies you can use to study effectively, stay motivated, and look after your mental wellbeing while revising.

Medical students at the University of Liverpool can access support from:

• Your Academic Advisor
• School of Medicine Wellbeing Team wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk
• University of Liverpool Student Support Services https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

These are the resources Helen recommended:

Weinstein, Sumeracki & Caviglioli (2018) Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide. Routledge (E-book available from the library. For the TL;DR go to page 146)
The Learning Scientists website https://www.learningscientists.org/

Here is a link to Henry Roediger III profile, including his lab and research:
http://psychnet.wustl.edu/memory/people/henry-l-roediger-iii/

The Dunlosky paper here is a really good summary:
https://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/Z10jaVH/60XQM/full

The following is a website dedicated to retrieval practice, including useful resources for teachers and students:
https://www.retrievalpractice.org

Here are the references regarding test anxiety prevalence (note – there are no ‘proper’ prevalence studies, mainly because test anxiety lacks diagnostic status):

• Naveh-Benjamin, M., Lavi, H., McKeachie, W. J., & Lin, Y. G. (1997). Individual differences in students' retention of knowledge and conceptual structures learned in University and High school courses: The case of test anxiety. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 11(6), 507-526. doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-0720(199712)11:6<507::Aid-acp482>3.0.Co;2-g

• Neuderth, S., Jabs, B., & Schmidtke, A. (2009). Strategies for reducing test anxiety and optimizing exam preparation in German university students: a prevention-oriented pilot project of the University of Wurzburg. Journal of Neural Transmission, 116(6), 785-790. doi:10.1007/s00702-008-0123-7

• Tsegay, L., Shumet, S., Damene, W., Gebreegziabhier, G., & Ayano, G. (2019). Prevalence and determinants of test anxiety among medical students in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. BMC Medical Education, 19(1), 423. doi:10.1186/s12909-019-1859-5

In this episode, Helen is joined by Megan, a 3rd year student nurse. She talks about her expectations and experiences of working in the NHS during COVID-19, and what's helped her to cope.

If you’re a nursing, medical, physician associate or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:
University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, AHP and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/

Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org http://www.samaritans.org
Papyrus 0800 068 41 41 https://papyrus-uk.org/

In this episode, Suzi talks to Professor Kate Bennett, an expert in grief and bereavement research. They discuss what it’s been like to experience a bereavement during the pandemic, and offer advice for both those who have experienced loss recently, and those who know people who have and want to offer support.

If you want to take part in Kate’s research on bereavement during COVID-19, the link is here: https://livpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yXOqN3qFN6sioJ

Kate recommends some papers:

Bennett, K. M. & Soulsby, L. K. (2012). Wellbeing in bereavement and widowhood. Illness, Crisis and Loss

Bennett, K. M. Gibbons, K. & Mackenzie-Smith, S. (2010). Loss and restoration in later Life: An examination of the Dual Process Model of coping with bereavement. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying

Carr, D., House, J. S., Wortman, C., Nesse, R., & Kessler, R. C. (2001). Psychological adjustment to sudden and anticipated spousal loss among older widowed persons. Journals of Gerontology Series B-Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences

Professor Bennett’s publications: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~kmb/pubs.html

Some charities that offer support:

Cruse: https://www.cruse.org.uk

Age UK: https://www.ageuk.org.uk

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org

This episode revisits strategies to recharge your mental health: Medical and Nursing students share the things they’ve been doing during lockdown to look after their mental wellbeing.

Listen to Episode 1 for more information on the ‘coping reservoir’ model, based on this publication:

Dunn, L.B, Iglewicz, M.D. & Moutier, C. (2008). A Conceptual Model of Medical Student Well-Being: Promoting Resilience and Preventing Burnout. Academic Psychiatry, 32(1), 44-53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18270280/

The comments about Velcro, Teflon, and paying attention to positive experiences were from this book:

Hanson, R. Resilient: Find your inner strength. Rider, 2018.

Based on the following publications:

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M. & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-70034-003

Rozin, P. & Royzman, E. B. (2001). Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(4), 296–320. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-09004-002

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/
Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123jo@samaritans.org www.samaritans.org

In this episode, Helen is joined by Sophie, who worked in the NHS during COVID-19 as a final year medical student. She talks about the ways in which caring for patients has been different during the pandemic, and some of the challenges that has presented.

If you’re a medical, nursing, physician associate or AHP student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us. Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/
Your GP Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123
jo@samaritans.org
http://www.samaritans.org
Papyrus 0800 068 41 41
https://papyrus-uk.org/

Suzi talks to Dr Ross White, a Reader in Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool. They discuss why difficult thoughts and feelings might occur, and strategies people can employ to manage them, in particular Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Ross recommends a number of resources for further reading and research:

Harris, R. (2006). Embracing your demons: An overview of acceptance and commitment therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, 12(4), 2-8.

https://www.actmindfully.com.au/upimages/Dr_Russ_Harris_-_A_Non-technical_Overview_of_ACT.pdf

More information about ACT and associated resources available at the Association of Contextual Behavioural Science webpage: https://contextualscience.org/

If you are interested in finding more, Ross recommends this book:

Russ Harris - The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184529825X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4uK8Eb65V4K5B

In this episode, Helen West is joined by Duncan, a 3rd year nursing student who has been redeployed to work in the NHS as part of the UK response to COVID-19. He talks about some of the challenges and defining moments, and how he’s coped with these experiences.

If you’re a medical, nursing or allied health student, and you’d like to talk on the podcast about your experiences of working or studying during the COVID-19 pandemic, please get in touch with us.

Contact us at: covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

If you need support, here are a few of our recommendations:

University of Liverpool Student Support Services (for nursing, allied health and other students at the University of Liverpool) https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/studentsupport/

School of Medicine Wellbeing Team (for medical students at the University of Liverpool) wellbeing.mbchb@liverpool.ac.uk

Employee Assistance Programme (for staff at the University of Liverpool) https://staff.liverpool.ac.uk/our-workplace-and-community/support-and-development/employee-assistance-programme/)

NHS Staff Support Line https://people.nhs.uk/help/

Your GP Samaritans free phoneline: 116 123

jo@samaritans.org

www.samaritans.org

Papyrus 0800 068 41 41

https://papyrus-uk.org/

Helen talks to Dr Suzi Gage about alcohol: Are people drinking more during the COVID-19 pandemic? If they are, what are the effects and when does that present a problem? Find out evidence-based strategies that can help if you think you’re drinking too much too often.

Dr Gage’s book & podcast:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Say-Why-Drugs-Everything-About/dp/1473686229
https://play.acast.com/s/saywhytodrugs/

Summary of the Alcohol Change UK survey results
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2020/covid19-drinking-during-lockdown-headline-findings

The study exploring the effects of hangover on cognition:
Gunn, C., Mackus, M., Griffin, C., Munafò, M. R., and Adams, S. ( 2018) A systematic review of the next‐day effects of heavy alcohol consumption on cognitive performance. Addiction, 113: 2182– 2193. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14404.

NHS Alcohol support
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

Alcoholics Anonymous
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

In this episode, Dr Katie Herron talks about how your sleep might’ve been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and gives evidence-based strategies to improve your sleep.

Sleepio App : a self-help app to improve sleep - https://onboarding.sleepio.com/sleepio/nhs-staff/77#1/1

The Sleep Foundation : Information and resources on sleep problems - https://www.sleepfoundation.org/

We’d like the podcast to respond to the challenges you’re facing, so please let us know your questions and concerns at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Lai, J., Ma, S., Wang, Y., Cai, Z., Hu, J., Wei, N., Wu, J., Du, H., Chen, T., Li, R., Tan, H., Kang, L., Yao, L., Huang, M., Wang, H., Wang, G., Liu, Z., & Hu, S. (2020). Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA Network Open, 3(3), e203976.

Xiao, H., Zhang, Y., Kong, D., Li, S., & Yang, N. (2020). The Effects of Social Support on Sleep Quality of Medical Staff Treating Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in January and February 2020 in China. Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 26, e923549.

In Episode 2 Suzi Gage speaks to Professor Laurence Alison from the department of psychology about resilience. What is it? Why is it important when working in stressful environments, and practical advice for keeping going when things are tough.

If you're interested in reading more about resilience this is a link to an article exploring these concepts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4185134/

The debriefing tool mentioned in the episode can be found here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/project-ares/debriefing-tool/

More information about resilience and stress can be found on the Project ARES website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/project-ares/stress-and-resilience/

We’d like the podcast to respond to the challenges you’re facing, so please let us know your questions and concerns at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4185134/

In this first episode we look at how to recharge your mental health and the ‘coping reservoir’ model. Staff in the School of Medicine and Nursing share the strategies they’re using to look after their mental wellbeing: find out who’s dancing to 80s music, re-watching feel-good films, taking up yoga, and who has a new puppy. University of Liverpool medical and nursing students can find out more about the reservoir model from Dr Helen West's lecture on the topic, available on VITAL.

We’d like the podcast to respond to the challenges you’re facing, so please let us know your questions and concerns at covidpod@liverpool.ac.uk

Dunn, L.B, Iglewicz, M.D. & Moutier, C. (2008). A Conceptual Model of Medical Student Well-Being: Promoting Resilience and Preventing Burnout. Academic Psychiatry, 32(1), 44-53.
Zwack, J., & Schweitzer, J. (2013). If Every Fifth Physician Is Affected by Burnout, What About the Other Four? Resilience Strategies of Experienced Physicians. Academic Medicine, 88(3), 382–389.