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Dr Maria Antonietta (Etta) Nettis is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Psychosis Unit at King’s College London and a researcher within the Research and Development (R&D) team at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Etta writes about why research at the Trust is so important for improving patient care and her team’s facilitating role.

The theme of this year's South Asian Heritage Month, which runs from 18 July to 17 August, 2022, is Journeys of Empire. Dr Koravangattu Valsraj, Consultant Psychiatrist, shares his reflections on the impact of cultural perspectives in seeking access to healthcare.

As a Trust we are deeply committed to improving patient safety. As part of our Aiming high: changing lives strategy, there are five quality priorities we have committed to achieving as a Trust. One of these is the reduction of violence and restrictive practice. We can help to improve patient care by reducing the use of restrictive practices to manage challenging behaviour. This includes things like restraint, seclusion and other ways patients’ choices and rights can be limited.

Sarah shares her lived experience of mental health and his journey to becoming a Peer Support Coordinator.  

I have experienced anxiety for as long as I can remember and have had multiple periods of severe depression over the last twenty-five years or so spending much of that time on anti-depressants to help manage the worse phases of illness.

Peer support workers support service users and their families by using their lived experience of mental health issues. They work in a recovery-focused way, emphasising connectedness, hope, identity, and empowerment. Peer workers share their lived experience to inspire hope that recovery is possible. Tiru, shares his lived experience of mental health and his journey to becoming a Peer Support Coordinator.