It might be July - but Movember's fast approaching. The international campaign focussed on men's mental and physical health is nearly upon us once again - and this year there's a big focus on inequality. 2/5 men will die prematurely - but where they live is a key factor to how long they live. Mick has pulled together the main findings of the new Movember report in this article Joining us on the podcast is TV presenter Matt Johnson and Rugby star Ugo Monye - who discuss their own mental health journeys and the challenges they've faced. Photo © Alamy Follow Mick Coyle on Instagram, Twitter ..read more

Mick Coyle is talking self esteem as a new BACP survey finds half of women are affected by self esteem issues - with body image the biggest factor, followed by social comparisons, careers, and romantic relationships. Joining him on this week's episode is Henna Mistry - who has tackled her own issues with self esteem, and found a way through using a BACP therapist and helping create a new network of community connections through York Girlies Henna's a fantastic guest for anyone who wants to know how self esteem impacts your life, what low self esteem feels like, and how to navigate a way thro ..read more

Mick Coyle is joined by Owen Wood from Race Across the World Owen - alongside his race partner Alfie - starred in the latest BBC series travelling through the Far East on a tight budget and even tighter timescale. Now he's back in the UK he's teaming up with The Mix - a charity that supports young people through all aspects of life - to further open up the conversation about mental health. On the TV show, Owen shared his own experience of living with anxiety, and how that shaped his junior years. He now wants to use that experience to help others. Check out more from The Mix on their websi ..read more

Mick is joined by Ellen Roome on this week's podcast. Ellen's son Jools Sweeney died suddenly in 2022, he was aged 14. A coroner ruled they couldn't register his death as suicide, because there we no signs he intended to take his life. The narrative verdict has left Jools' family with many questions. Ellen's now looking for answers through his social media - to see if that offers any insight into why he's no longer with us, but she's not allowed to access Jools' data. She launched a petition calling for parents to have the right to access their child's social media information and is askin ..read more

Mick Coyle is joined by James Cooper on this week's podcast James is currently running a marathon every single day in 2024. He'll complete 366 between now and the end of the year! He was inspired to take on the challenge as part of his Smilinggg Project, which he set up after having a difficult time with his own mental health in 2014/15. James also lost an uncle to suicide - and will be raising money for Samaritans as part of challenge. We wish him all the very best in his challenge! Here's a link to his fundraising page You can follow him on Instagram Follow Mick Coyle on Twitter/X, I ..read more

How do I talk to my child about mental health? Mick is joined by dad and CBBC presenter Nigel Clarke on this week's Mental Health Monday Podcast. Nigel is lending his voice to a new animated series that helps children learn about their emotions - while also equipping parents with the tools to have conversations about mental health in a safe way. Embers the Dragon has launched to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 It comes as stats show around 49% of parents are worried about managing their child's behaviour, with anxiety being the number one reason parents are concerned. Subscrib ..read more

Artist Gawain Hewitt is this week's Mental Health Monday Podcast guest. Gawain works in art and music, and leads music sessions at several psychiatric hospitals, including Royal Bethlem, Springfields and Lavender Walk. He discusses how music can create pathways for people to explore their feelings, and find connections when words are not enough. He also designs and builds instruments, and is currently working on two commissions to make music more accessible to disabled people. He's won a series of awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society Impact Award and the Mastercard Brits Trailb ..read more

Mick is joined by returning guest Steve Phillip, founder and director of The Jordan Legacy. Steve featured in episode 189 of Mental Health Monday, and was part of the #LeaveALightOn project. Steve's latest project sees him teaming up with some incredible individuals and organisations for the Join The Dots tour across the North of England in June 2024. Starting in Scunthorpe, and ending on Merseyside, Steve and the team are creating a series of arts, sports, and mental health events to help normalise the conversation about suicide. He also talks about his work on the Zero Suicide Society st ..read more

Chris Ross is a powerful guest on this week's Mental Health Monday Podcast. Chris shares his story of dealing with trauma, depression and suicidal thoughts - and how he turned his life around as a self-styled "mentality monster" who now supports others in their mental health journey. Chris talks about the very difficult issues he's faced, but also the measures he's now put in place to give himself a "zest for life", and how you can help yourself achieve that mindset. You can find out more about Chris on his Linkedin Profile. Follow host Mick Coyle on Twitter/X, Instagram, Linkedin and get ..read more

Mick Coyle meets Nicole Antoniou, CEO of The Butterfly Squad, in this week's podcast. The Butterfly Squad is a project and animated series to help children build resilience, understand their emotions and give themselves the best chance at being the best version of themselves. Nicole sets out why the project started and the results she's seen since it began. You can find out more on the Butterfly Squad website, or check out their social media accounts. Follow Mick on Twitter and Instagram, and get video previews of the Mental Health Monday Facebook Group In the podcast intro, Mick mentions ..read more