Sharon Lambert and Naoise Ó Caoilte - Mental Health Podcasts: A Force for Good in a Contested Field

According to Edison Research, there are more podcast listeners than ever, with 64% of the US 12+ population having ever listened to a podcast. With over half a million active podcasts available, more time is being devoted to mental health discussions. However, little is known about the motivation and experiences of people listening to mental health related material in podcasts. Joining us today are Dr. Sharon Lambert and Naoise Ó Caoilte from University College Cork in Ireland, who have studied the motivations and experiences of mental health-related podcast listeners. Their recent paper is entitled "Podcasts as a Tool for Enhancing Mental Health Literacy: An Investigation of Mental Health-Related Podcasts," and it appears in the journal Mental Health & Prevention. In this interview, we discuss the importance of mental health literacy and ask if the need for honest mental health experiences is being met from the recording studio rather than the consulting room. *** Mad in America podcasts and reports are made possible, in part, by a grant from the Thomas Jobe Fund. Thank you for being with us to listen to the podcast and read our articles this year. MIA is funded entirely by reader donations. If you value MIA, please help us continue to survive and grow. To find the Mad in America podcast on your preferred podcast player, click here