Main content

Recovery stories, personality change, Covid

Do recovery stories improve mental health? Do personalities change over time and why are people who’ve had Covid more likely to get a psychiatric diagnosis?

Can one person’s story of their struggle with, and recovery from, mental health difficulties help other people with their own mental health difficulties? Claudia Hammond talks to Mike Slade from Nottingham University who is running the Neon trial into recovery stories to find out. Are you more open, less conscientious or more neurotic than you used to be? It used to be thought that personality was fixed in adulthood but it can and does change. Psychologist Eileen Graham has studied data from thousands of people and explains how and which traits are likely to increase or decrease. Also, why are people who’ve had a Covid-19 diagnosis more likely to get anxiety or depression in the three months that follow their diagnosis? Paul Harrison, psychiatrist at Oxford University who led the research, explains.

Professor Catherine Loveday from the University of Westminster is Claudia's studio guest.

Producer: Pam Rutherford

Available now

28 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 17 Nov 2020 21:00
  • Wed 18 Nov 2020 15:30

The All in the Mind Awards 2025

The All in the Mind Awards 2025

Find full details and how to submit nominations for the Awards.

How to Manage Your Worries

How to Manage Your Worries

A quick and easy guide on how to cope with the things you worry about.

Podcast