'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast cover art

'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

By: The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
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About this listen

 These podcasts are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in child and adolescent mental health. They bridge the gap between rigorous research and practical application, featuring expert discussions on mental health. Each episode highlights cutting-edge studies offering insights into findings, and implications for practice.

The series caters to clinicians, researchers, and those interested in mental health. Available on major platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, it’s an accessible way to stay informed about advancements in the field.

Visit our website for a host of free evidence-based mental health resources.



© 2025 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. All Rights Reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • S4 Ep2: Mind the Kids - Neurotypes, Genotypes, and Phenotypes

    S4 Ep2: Mind the Kids - Neurotypes, Genotypes, and Phenotypes
    Nov 12 2025
    Welcome to "Mind the Kids," where stories, science, and lived experience collide to shed light on the mysteries of child development. What if the answer to why some children struggle with attention or language isn’t just written in their DNA, but also shaped by the world their parents create?

    In this episode, “Neurotypes, Genotypes and Phenotypes,” our hosts Professor Umar Toseeb and Dr. Jane Gilmour invite Dr. Laura Hegemann to talk about her JCPP paper ‘Direct and indirect genetic effects on early neurodevelopmental traits’ and the wider implications of the topic.

    Laura unravels why understanding genetic influences isn’t about fate or fatalism; it’s a nuanced story of possibility, risk, and hope. Her research offers powerful new insights: the mix of direct genetic effects and subtle environmental influences, and why “knowledge is power” for clinicians and parents trying to support neurodiverse children. You’ll hear candid reflections on why communicating these findings is fraught with risks and responsibilities—and stories of families who find both challenge and strength in their inherited traits.

    As you listen, expect real talk: about how early intervention makes a difference, why neurodevelopmental traits can be both a challenge and a gift, and how science can help us support—not stigmatise—those on different developmental paths.

    This isn’t just another academic debate; it’s a conversation about how research shapes practice and lives. So settle in for a journey through dilemmas, discoveries, and transformative moments in child behavioural genetics. The story starts here.

    More information:
    From the JCPP paper ‘Direct and indirect genetic effects on early neurodevelopmental traits’ Laura Hegemann, Espen Eilertsen, Johanne Hagen Pettersen, Elizabeth C. Corfield, Rosa Cheesman, Leonard Frach, Ludvig Daae Bjørndal, Helga Ask, Beate St Pourcain, Alexandra Havdahl, Laurie J. Hannigan
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14122
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    40 mins
  • S4 Ep2: Mind the Kids - Income(ing): Poverty and Resilience

    S4 Ep2: Mind the Kids - Income(ing): Poverty and Resilience
    Nov 5 2025
    Welcome to this episode of Mind the Kids, the podcast from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. In an episode titled 'Income(ing): Poverty and Resilience' Dr. Jane Gilmour and Professor Umar Toseeb are joined by Dr. Divyangana Rakesh from King’s College London, to discuss her groundbreaking research on cognitive resilience among children growing up in poverty.

    The discussion centers on the paper 'Beyond the Income Achievement Gap: The Role of Individual, Family, and Environmental Factors in Cognitive Resilience Among Low-Income Youth' published in JCPP Advances. You can access the full article via DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12297.

    Dr. Rakesh shares insights into how some children manage to thrive cognitively despite economic hardship. As she explains, “Although growing up in poverty carries many risks, some children defy the odds and demonstrate positive cognitive outcomes. Identifying factors that promote such resilience in disadvantaged contexts is essential for informing interventions and policies.” She highlights the crucial role of family, community, and individual factors that can foster resilience and improve educational outcomes.

    Join us as we explore the complex interplay of these factors and what they mean for child mental health and societal action. This episode is essential listening for anyone invested in understanding and supporting young people’s development in disadvantaged contexts.

    Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your networks.
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    42 mins
  • S4 Ep1: Mind the Kids - Rebooting the Great Psychotherapy Debate

    S4 Ep1: Mind the Kids - Rebooting the Great Psychotherapy Debate
    Oct 29 2025
    Does it really matter which type of therapy you choose? In this Mind the Kids episode, hosts Dr. Jane Gilmour and Prof. Umar Toseeb sit down with Professor Ian Goodyer from the University of Cambridge to unpack one of the most provocative findings in youth mental health research: different types of psychotherapy for adolescent depression work equally well—but not for the reasons we thought.

    Drawing from the landmark IMPACT trial (the largest UK study of its kind with 465 participants), Professor Goodyer reveals surprising insights that challenge decades of therapeutic orthodoxy. Using cutting-edge network analysis, his team discovered that the key drivers of recovery aren't what therapists predicted—they're fatigue and insomnia, not the psychological symptoms clinicians typically focus on.

    What You'll Learn

    • The Common Factors Debate: Why CBT, psychoanalytic therapy, and brief psychosocial intervention showed no significant differences in outcomes
    • The Speed of Recovery: Why most young people improved faster than any therapy manual predicted (often in just 6-12 sessions instead of 20-30)
    • Network Science Meets Mental Health: How symptoms influence each other over time—and why this changes everything about diagnosis and treatment
    • The Sleep Connection: Why addressing fatigue and insomnia might be more crucial than we realized for adolescent depression
    • The Role of Time: Why recovery continues for 12 months after therapy ends, with remarkably low relapse rates
    Why This Matters

    This isn't just an academic debate. These findings have profound implications for:

    • Clinicians: Rethinking assessment priorities and treatment planning
    • Trainees: Understanding what really drives therapeutic change
    • Researchers: Opening new avenues for investigating mental health interventions
    • Policy makers: Allocating resources more effectively in child and adolescent mental health services
    Perfect for: Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, researchers, students, and anyone interested in what really works in mental health treatment—and why.



    From the JCPP paper ‘Dynamics of depression symptoms in adolescents during three types of psychotherapy and post-treatment follow-up’

    Madison Aitken, Sharon A.S. Neufeld, Clement Ma, IMPACT Consortium, Ian M. Goodyer

    https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.14175
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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