Social Justice Matters - Mental health, faith and philosophy

More and more people are struggling to cope with their mental health. We face rising rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm - especially in young people. The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have a Mental Health Project that aims to increase spiritual and pastoral support in our communities for those with mental health challenges, their families and carers. For today's 'Social Justice Matters' podcast we caught up with Dr Simon Hewitt from the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science at the University of Leeds. Simon has an academic interest in psychiatry but, on a personal level, was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder six years ago. Also, as is quite common with the condition, he has lived with depression. It's a condition that can be completely disabling if untreated. Simon talks candidly to us about Bipolar disorder and we cover a lot of ground including support groups, labels and language, dos and don'ts when you're accompanying a friend with a mental health condition and much more.