'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

Why do some teenagers seem permanently jet lagged, wide awake at midnight and exhausted at 8am? And what does that actually do to their mood, their learning, and their long term mental health?
In this episode of Mind the Kids, titled ‘Regular sleep, the balm of hurt minds’, Dr. Konstantin Drexl joins hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb, to unpack the science of adolescent sleep: from what terms like chronotype, circadian rhythm and REM sleep really mean, to how sleep loss and anxiety feed into each other in everyday life.
Together, they explore why regular sleep can act as a protective factor for some young people, why others seem especially sensitive to even small disruptions, and what this might mean for school start times, smartphones at bedtime, and whole family sleep hygiene. Whether you are a parent, teacher, clinician or researcher, this conversation offers clear, practical insights into how supporting teenage sleep could be one of the simplest ways to support teenage minds.
You can read the main JCPP Advances paper discussed in this episode, “Toward an idiographic understanding of the role of sleep-mood dynamics in adolescents' internalizing symptoms” https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70082
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Children with mild intellectual difficulties are often overlooked, but the evidence suggests they may face real challenges in emotional wellbeing, behaviour and education, especially when support is patchy or late.
In this Mind the Kids episode, Dr. Foteini Tseliou joins hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof Umar Toseeb to discuss the paper 'Factors Associated with Better Emotional, Behavioural and Educational Outcomes in Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities'.
They highlight three big messages: many children with mild intellectual difficulties are in mainstream schools and may not be formally identified; peer relationships emerge as one of the strongest protective factors across outcomes; and it is the accumulation of support across home, school and friendships that seems to matter most, rather than any single intervention on its own.
At the same time, the conversation makes clear that outcomes are not fixed by IQ. With the right support, many children with mild intellectual difficulties can do well, and the protective factors that help them often help other children too – which makes a strong case for universal, inclusive provision rather than waiting until problems become severe.
You can read the main JCPPA Advances journal paper discussed in this episode, “Factors associated with better emotional, behavioural and educational outcomes in children with mild intellectual difficulties” https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.70072
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AI chatbots can feel warm, human and tailored, but this brings real risks when the advice is wrong or incomplete, especially for vulnerable young people with eating or body-image concerns. 
In this Mind the Kids episode “Adolescence and Appearance. AI eat your words”, Dr. Florence Sheen talks to hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof Umar Toseeb.

They highlight three big issues: we rarely know what sources the chatbot is drawing on; there is no built‑in safeguarding link back to parents, schools or services; and its list‑style “here’s what to do” responses may particularly appeal to perfectionistic or rigid thinkers, potentially fuelling disordered behaviours rather than challenging them.
At the same time, young people are using AI alongside social media and official sites in quite a savvy way – they might go to the NHS for physical symptoms, but to chatbots for lived experience and emotional validation – so opinion and evidence are constantly blended. The Florence, Jane, and Umar argue this makes digital literacy crucial: talk openly with young people about what they see, encourage them to check information against other sources, and model responsible use rather than banning AI outright. 
They also call for independent, transparent evaluation of any AI tools aimed at youth mental health, and for developers to work with researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience so that future systems are both safer and better able to support real-world wellbeing.
You can read the main CAMH journal paper discussed in this episode, “How do Artificial Intelligence chatbots respond to questions from adolescent personas about their eating, body weight or appearance?” https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.70047

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Trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care are at the heart of this thoughtful conversation about how we support children and young people who have experienced adversity.
In this Mind the Kids episode 'Trauma responsive care: It's all about me', hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb, talk with Dr. Sarah Parry, University of Manchester, about what trauma actually is, how it overlaps with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and why simply “totting up” ACEs scores can miss the individual context and meaning of events for each young person.
They explore the principles that should underpin good practice with all children and adolescents – consistency, curiosity, low emotional tone, and sensitivity to triggers – and ask whether these should be seen as core to high-quality care rather than an “add‑on” labelled trauma-informed.
The discussion moves from definitions to practice: Sarah unpacks the difference between being “trauma-aware”, “trauma-informed” and “trauma-responsive”, arguing that truly responsive care must be embedded across whole organisations and systems, not just in the therapy room. Drawing on her work in residential care and with young people who hear voices, she highlights the importance of framing, coping strategies, choice, safety, and timing in talking therapies, as well as the potential harms of blame and poorly timed debriefing after traumatic events.
The episode also touches on intergenerational and indirect forms of trauma, links with cultural humility, and how environments can be shaped so that all young people – including those in care or from marginalised communities – can engage and recover.
Whether you are a clinician, researcher, educator, or caregiver, this conversation offers a nuanced, practical look at moving beyond buzzwords toward everyday, trauma-responsive environments that genuinely support young people’s mental health.
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In this episode of Mind the Kids, hosts Dr Jane Gilmour, honorary consultant clinical psychologist and Child Development Programme Director at UCL, and Professor Umar Toseeb, Professor of Psychology at the University of York, explore what happens when children and young people with severe or complex mental health difficulties are admitted to hospital.
Drawing on a powerful real-world case that sparked Umar’s interest, they ask: when is inpatient care really needed, what does a good ward environment look like, and how does admission affect young people and their families over time?
Jane and Umar are joined by Dr Dawn Cutler, Principal Clinical Psychologist, and Guy Larrington, Principal Family Therapist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, who discuss:

Which kinds of difficulties typically lead to admission (including mood disorders, suicidality, eating disorders, and functional symptoms)

How clinicians weigh up risk, severity, and functioning when considering admission

What day-to-day life on a child and adolescent inpatient ward looks like, including education, structure, and relationships with staff

The role of nursing, family involvement, and “shared care” in creating a therapeutic environment

How goal-based outcomes can capture what matters most to young people and their families

The episode also touches on neurodiversity in inpatient settings, systemic inequalities in who is detained, and the transdiagnostic skills and therapeutic relationships that can support recovery across diagnoses. This is a practical, reflective conversation for clinicians, researchers, and anyone wanting to better understand inpatient child and adolescent mental health care.
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