Nine To Noon for Thursday 23 September 2021

 

 

09:05 New mental health plan - roadmap or road to nowhere?

Nearly three years after a comprehensive inquiry into mental health and addiction identified massive need for change, the government has announced a 10-year "pathway to mental wellbeing" plan, and an external oversight group to keep it on track. The mental health inquiry report was first presented to the government in November 2018. In 2019, $1.9 billion was pledged for mental health in the budget,  along with with $235 million for building more facilities. But critics say there has been little progress and no clear roadmap or action plan. Yesterday, Health Minister Andrew Little, announced the new 10 year pathway - named Kia Manawanui. He says it sets out short, medium and long term actions to be taken across Government with a focus on key areas such as technology, workforce, and investment to make transformative change. Kathryn speaks with Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson who says he feels hopeful about the plan, but the risk of further 'drift' is enormous.

09:30 Psilocybin: Could magic mushrooms treat depression and anorexia?

Psychedelic drugs could be the future of treating mental illnesses such as depression, after research into the use of psilocybin (more commonly known as magic mushrooms) found the drug was at least as effective as antidepressant medication. Initial results of the study conducted by the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London found participants treated with a combination of psilocybin and psychological therapy had their depression scores reduce faster, and with greater magnitude than those treated with serotonin inhibitors, a widely prescribed class of antidepressants. Now, the Centre for Psychedelic Research is investigating whether similar treatment could be a feasible and effective way of treating anorexia nervosa. The eating disorder has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders, but has few effective treatments. Dr Meg Spriggs is a researcher at the Centre for Psychedelic Research and is one of the leaders of clinical trial into psilocybin as a treatment for anorexia nervosa.

09:45 UK correspondent Harriet Line

UK correspondent Harriet Line joins Kathryn to talk about the massive spike in gas prices which have seen power and CO2 suppliers go bust and how it's leading to fears of supermarket shortages - something the government concedes is likely. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the French to “get a grip” over the AUKUS alliance, but he's also downgraded his ambitions for a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US following talks with US President Joe Biden.

10:05 Tim Heath on how he became an 'Accidental Teacher'

Many parents around the country probably have a new appreciation for the teaching profession, thanks to the Covid pandemic. Tim Heath knows it well, having spent 47 years as a teacher and principal in a number of schools around the country - from those in inner-city Auckland, to the rural backblocks of New Zealand. He also taught for a time in Samoa, and spent many years as an educational gypsy for The Correspondence School. Tim has taken his experiences of teaching - the ideals, the mistakes, the joys and frustrations - and turned into a funny and compelling read in his new book: 'The Accidental Teacher'.

10:35 Book review: This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes

Quentin Johnson reviews This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand    

10:45 The Reading

Head in the Clouds, part 4, Written by Matthew O'Sullivan and read by Grant Tilly.

11:05 Online privacy changes, Theranos trial, iPhone 13 released

Technology correspondent Sarah Putt joins Kathryn to talk about how privacy is changing the internet - and how advertisers will have to adapt. Theranos' founder Elizabeth Holmes is in court facing a number of charges - why did her health-tech start-up crumble, and Apple releases its iPhone 13....what's new?

11:25 Speech trouble : childhood apraxia explained

Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright explains childhood apraxia of speech, where some children have difficulty putting sounds and syllables together.

11:45 The Foundation, LulaRich, The Beths documentary

Chris Schulz joins Kathryn to talk about new Apple+ production The Foundation, based on the 1950s Isaac Asimov novel series that inspired many sci-fi movies - including Star Wars.  He'll also look at new doco LulaRich on Amazon, which delves into the multi-level marketing company LulaRoe and finally The Beths documentary (YouTube), based on their post-lockdown celebratory show held in Auckland last year.