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Who are the Psych Stars?
Selected by The Royal College of Psychiatrists, Psych Star ambassadors are a group of final year medical students awarded for their particular interest and commitment to psychiatry. During the year-long scheme as Psych Stars, students are nurtured in their interest in psychiatry through the assignment of mentors, by gaining access to learning resources and events, and by becoming part of a network of like-minded students.
We have decided to invite each of the Psych Stars to write a blog on how they envision the future of mental health by choosing an area in which they are passionate. We have decided to run the series as a celebration of these student’s success and to provide an outlook for each of the awardees to share their passion.

Inspiring and supporting the Psychiatrists of tomorrow
Note from the Editor : It is my pleasure to present the final Psych Star blog of the Psych Star Series , a collection of articles written...
Dr Declan Hyland
Dec 18, 20244 min read

The Contribution of Acquired Brain Injuries on Criminal Behaviour
On a busy road, when the traffic rushes like water breaking through a dam and the lights refuse to turn red, the decision you may make to...
Namira Patel
Nov 14, 20245 min read

ADHD in doctors: a personal reflection
It is ADHD Awareness Month , and I often find myself reflecting on my own diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),...
Catriona McVey
Oct 15, 20245 min read

Schools: what is their role in young people’s mental health?
Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide. Some readers may find this distressing. Massive increases in referrals to Child and...
Jesmine Dhooper
Sep 5, 20244 min read

Lost in Translation: Does Culture Belong in Psychiatry?
In my second year of medical school, I had the opportunity to choose my student-selected component of the course. There were several...
Iyinoluwa Popoola
Aug 29, 20245 min read

My Personal Experiences as an Intellectual Disability Psych Star
Psychiatry has been a highlight of my medical school experience. Every psychiatrist I’ve met, every talk and lecture I’ve attended, and...
Megs Grainger
Jul 11, 20245 min read


Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry: A PsychStar perspective
Perusing the Royal College of Psychiatrists website, I stumbled upon the faculty page for 'Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry'. I had...
Lauren Pereira-Greene
Jun 6, 20244 min read

Psychiatrists Aren’t Mind-Reading Tweed Wearing Trickcyclists
Special Note from the Editors: Welcome to our brand-new series written by the 2023 Psych Stars! Chosen by the Royal College of...
James Brawn
May 2, 20245 min read


Reflections on my year as a Psych Star
My interest in mental health grew considerably when I started medical school. I remember being spellbound by a lecture in the first term...
Emily Jones
Sep 7, 20216 min read

A Birds Eye View
Reflections from the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the latest series of PsychStar blogs I was glad to be invited to...
Dr Adrian J B James FRCPsych
Nov 13, 20207 min read

Intellectual Disability: Past, Present and Future
My experiences working as a support worker for adults with intellectual disability, before starting medical school and alongside my...
Lucrezia Thomas
Oct 23, 20208 min read

Should Psychiatry be working to prevent Mental Illness in the first place?
Mental health stigma and discrimination is slowly decreasing, as shown in the report ‘Time to Change’ in 2015. Given the current effects...
Danish Hafeez
Oct 16, 20206 min read

Psychedelics in Psychiatry: A Trip to the Future
Disclaimer: This blog is by no means an endorsement, nor is it advocating illegal activities. It is purely a discussion about the growing...
Isabella Conti
Oct 9, 20207 min read


Telepsychiatry: How did we get here and where do we go now?
A lot has been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 6 months. For those of us familiar with the inside of clinic rooms, one of...
Anushka Pathak
Oct 2, 20208 min read

“More Unites Us Than Divides Us” — It’s Time for Neurology and Psychiatry to Work Together Again
Psychiatry, like many other specialties within medicine, has a range of sub-specialties from which one can choose during higher training,...
Bibire Baykeens
Sep 25, 20208 min read

The future of male mental health: society’s role in tackling the suicide crisis
Content Warning — This blog deals with the topic of suicide and may be distressing to some readers. If any of the topics raised resonate...
Bethany Platford
Sep 18, 20207 min read

Global Mental Health: Where are we heading?
Special note from the editors: This is the fifth blog of our new series, The future of mental health as seen by the future leaders in...
Cecilia Vinchenzo
Sep 11, 20207 min read

The Future is Feminist: tackling gender inequalities in psychiatric medicine and practice
Special note from the editors: This is the fourth blog of our new series, The future of mental health as seen by the future leaders in...
Rebecca Murphy Lonergan
Sep 4, 20206 min read


The future of child and adolescent psychiatry - a medical student’s perspective
Special note from the editors: This is the third blog of our new series, The future of mental health as seen by the future leaders in...
Emily Jones
Aug 28, 202010 min read

The mind-body experience and the future for psychiatry
Special note from the editors: This is the second blog of our new series, The future of mental health as seen by the future leaders in...
Tamara Searle
Aug 21, 20207 min read

The New Generation Game
A Need for Compassion when Encouraging Young People to Engage in Mental Health Special note from the editors: Please enjoy reading the...
Heather McAdam
Aug 14, 20208 min read
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