James Downs
@jamesldowns.bsky.social
Mental health writer, researcher, patient. Professionally & pathologically flexible. Creative arts. Practicing courage, creativity, and compassion.
Reposted by James Downs
🔬 This month's journal club comes from @jamesldowns.bsky.social , a member of our Lived Experience Steering Committee! James has published a brilliant paper on the diverse ways of knowing in mental health research. Read the thread to learn more! 🧵👇
May 19, 2025 at 10:57 AM
🔬 This month's journal club comes from @jamesldowns.bsky.social , a member of our Lived Experience Steering Committee! James has published a brilliant paper on the diverse ways of knowing in mental health research. Read the thread to learn more! 🧵👇
"Benefits didn’t incentivise me to sit back and relax, nor have they kept me disabled. They help me to mitigate some of the consequences of the multiple disabilities I live with, and have given me a chance to build a life where I have dignity."
My article today: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
My article today: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
You can’t cut your way to health: Disability benefits and the politics of prevention in Wales
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner The UK Government is proposing sweeping changes to the disability benefits system, with a focus on reducing the number of claimants and cutting costs by £5bn. Pla...
nation.cymru
May 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
"Benefits didn’t incentivise me to sit back and relax, nor have they kept me disabled. They help me to mitigate some of the consequences of the multiple disabilities I live with, and have given me a chance to build a life where I have dignity."
My article today: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
My article today: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
Please read my article in @nation.cymru today about disability benefits, based on some of my personal experiences and highlighting the false economy of proposed cuts: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
You can’t cut your way to health: Disability benefits and the politics of prevention in Wales
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner The UK Government is proposing sweeping changes to the disability benefits system, with a focus on reducing the number of claimants and cutting costs by £5bn. Pla...
nation.cymru
May 18, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Please read my article in @nation.cymru today about disability benefits, based on some of my personal experiences and highlighting the false economy of proposed cuts: nation.cymru/opinion/you-...
Please read my article in @nation.cymru today about disability benefits, based on some of my personal experiences and highlighting the false economy of proposed cuts
May 18, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Please read my article in @nation.cymru today about disability benefits, based on some of my personal experiences and highlighting the false economy of proposed cuts
Reposted by James Downs
‘The government’s arguments for cutting disability benefits ignore the truth about what creates disability in the first place. It doesn’t arise in a vacuum. It’s shaped by the social conditions around us’ ✍️ James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner
You can’t cut your way to health: Disability benefits and the politics of prevention in Wales
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner The UK Government is proposing sweeping changes to the disability benefits system, with a focus on reducing the number of claimants and cutting costs by £5bn. Pla...
wp.me
May 18, 2025 at 7:21 AM
‘The government’s arguments for cutting disability benefits ignore the truth about what creates disability in the first place. It doesn’t arise in a vacuum. It’s shaped by the social conditions around us’ ✍️ James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner
Reposted by James Downs
“The new Mental Health Strategy for Wales offers a moment of hope – a chance to rethink and rebuild. But hope alone is not enough.”
An poignant reminder from @jamesldowns.bsky.social via @nation.cymru on why this new strategy is so needed – and why the ambition must be met with action.
An poignant reminder from @jamesldowns.bsky.social via @nation.cymru on why this new strategy is so needed – and why the ambition must be met with action.
No more waiting: Wales needs a mental health system that truly cares
James Downs In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn’t just an administrative inconvenience; it’s a…
nation.cymru
May 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM
“The new Mental Health Strategy for Wales offers a moment of hope – a chance to rethink and rebuild. But hope alone is not enough.”
An poignant reminder from @jamesldowns.bsky.social via @nation.cymru on why this new strategy is so needed – and why the ambition must be met with action.
An poignant reminder from @jamesldowns.bsky.social via @nation.cymru on why this new strategy is so needed – and why the ambition must be met with action.
Please read my latest which highlights the vital work of @mindcymru.bsky.social
In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn't just an administrative inconvenience; it's a crisis with real- life consequences ✍️ James Downs
No more waiting: Wales needs a mental health system that truly cares
James Downs In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn’t just an administrative inconvenience; it’s a crisis...
nation.cymru
April 30, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Please read my latest which highlights the vital work of @mindcymru.bsky.social
Reposted by James Downs
In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn't just an administrative inconvenience; it's a crisis with real- life consequences ✍️ James Downs
No more waiting: Wales needs a mental health system that truly cares
James Downs In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn’t just an administrative inconvenience; it’s a crisis...
nation.cymru
April 30, 2025 at 7:58 AM
In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn't just an administrative inconvenience; it's a crisis with real- life consequences ✍️ James Downs
Reposted by James Downs
Thanks to @jamesldowns.bsky.social for using our work listening to people with lived experience to inform this piece on his hopes for the new mental health strategy.
Powerfully and articulately argued as ever and I hope the new strategy can deliver on these outcomes for all of us
Powerfully and articulately argued as ever and I hope the new strategy can deliver on these outcomes for all of us
In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn't just an administrative inconvenience; it's a crisis with real- life consequences ✍️ James Downs
No more waiting: Wales needs a mental health system that truly cares
James Downs In Wales, people with mental health problems have long been caught in a system that delays the care they so desperately need. This isn’t just an administrative inconvenience; it’s a crisis...
nation.cymru
April 30, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Thanks to @jamesldowns.bsky.social for using our work listening to people with lived experience to inform this piece on his hopes for the new mental health strategy.
Powerfully and articulately argued as ever and I hope the new strategy can deliver on these outcomes for all of us
Powerfully and articulately argued as ever and I hope the new strategy can deliver on these outcomes for all of us
Reposted by James Downs
Co-authored by @thecyberpsyche.bsky.social Richard Brown, Claire Murphy-Morgan and @jamesldowns.bsky.social, the paper is part of the RHED-C project, funded by @medresfdn.bsky.social.
Find out more: rhedc.uk
Find out more: rhedc.uk
RHED-C
Remote Healthcare for Eating Disorders
rhedc.uk
March 27, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Co-authored by @thecyberpsyche.bsky.social Richard Brown, Claire Murphy-Morgan and @jamesldowns.bsky.social, the paper is part of the RHED-C project, funded by @medresfdn.bsky.social.
Find out more: rhedc.uk
Find out more: rhedc.uk
Reposted by James Downs
Aren’t we cute?How Westminster trivialises Cymru nation.cymru/opinion/aren...
@jamesldowns.bsky.social on 10 DowningStreet video
"Here’s what happened when we asked some famous faces 2 say the longest word in Welsh 🏴" Outraged?No.Bored? Yes! Always patronised! Perhaps we shld all say "C**t y Môr"
@jamesldowns.bsky.social on 10 DowningStreet video
"Here’s what happened when we asked some famous faces 2 say the longest word in Welsh 🏴" Outraged?No.Bored? Yes! Always patronised! Perhaps we shld all say "C**t y Môr"
Aren’t we cute? How Westminster trivialises Wales
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner This week, Number 10 Downing Street and the Labour Party released statements and a video celebrating Wales and Welshness, featuring well-known figures, including ...
nation.cymru
March 7, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Aren’t we cute?How Westminster trivialises Cymru nation.cymru/opinion/aren...
@jamesldowns.bsky.social on 10 DowningStreet video
"Here’s what happened when we asked some famous faces 2 say the longest word in Welsh 🏴" Outraged?No.Bored? Yes! Always patronised! Perhaps we shld all say "C**t y Môr"
@jamesldowns.bsky.social on 10 DowningStreet video
"Here’s what happened when we asked some famous faces 2 say the longest word in Welsh 🏴" Outraged?No.Bored? Yes! Always patronised! Perhaps we shld all say "C**t y Môr"
Reposted by James Downs
Really happy to see this paper published today! We identified best practices to promote researchers' mental health in emotionally demanding research. Thank you to all involved in this project, especially the participants for their invaluable expertise!
🔗 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1080/1748...
🔗 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1080/1748...
Researchers’ mental health in emotionally demanding research warrants immediate attention: new paper outlines best practices
Introduction As the spotlight on researchers' mental health grows, especially for those immersed in emotionally demanding research (EDR), the need for robust support strategies becomes more evident. ...
www.sprintproject.org
February 27, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Really happy to see this paper published today! We identified best practices to promote researchers' mental health in emotionally demanding research. Thank you to all involved in this project, especially the participants for their invaluable expertise!
🔗 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1080/1748...
🔗 Read the paper here: doi.org/10.1080/1748...
Reposted by James Downs
“In some ways, Unshrunk is a memoir of Delano’s unstable and intense interpersonal relationship with psychiatry, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation, and ending with a partial course correction.”
A Memoir For the Iatrogenic Age
A Review of Laura Delano’s “Unshrunk”
“The reason I’m no longer mentally ill is that I made a decision to question the ideas about myself that I’d assumed were fact & discard what I learned was actually fiction.” Delano
www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/a-memoir-f...
A Review of Laura Delano’s “Unshrunk”
“The reason I’m no longer mentally ill is that I made a decision to question the ideas about myself that I’d assumed were fact & discard what I learned was actually fiction.” Delano
www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/a-memoir-f...
A Memoir For the Iatrogenic Age
A Review of Laura Delano's "Unshrunk"
www.psychiatrymargins.com
February 23, 2025 at 7:18 PM
“In some ways, Unshrunk is a memoir of Delano’s unstable and intense interpersonal relationship with psychiatry, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation, and ending with a partial course correction.”
Reposted by James Downs
One year of 20mph in Wales:
🚦 100 fewer killed or seriously injured
🚶♂️ 26% drop in casualties
🏁 35% drop in summer road injuries – the lowest since records began
Slower speeds. Safer streets. Fewer tragedies.
It’s not perfect, but it’s progress. 🏴
🚦 100 fewer killed or seriously injured
🚶♂️ 26% drop in casualties
🏁 35% drop in summer road injuries – the lowest since records began
Slower speeds. Safer streets. Fewer tragedies.
It’s not perfect, but it’s progress. 🏴
Welsh 20mph limit: 100 fewer killed or seriously hurt in first year
Ex-minister says it shows policy was the most successful road safety initiative in modern times.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
One year of 20mph in Wales:
🚦 100 fewer killed or seriously injured
🚶♂️ 26% drop in casualties
🏁 35% drop in summer road injuries – the lowest since records began
Slower speeds. Safer streets. Fewer tragedies.
It’s not perfect, but it’s progress. 🏴
🚦 100 fewer killed or seriously injured
🚶♂️ 26% drop in casualties
🏁 35% drop in summer road injuries – the lowest since records began
Slower speeds. Safer streets. Fewer tragedies.
It’s not perfect, but it’s progress. 🏴
Reposted by James Downs
Really wise words from James in this article. We can't afford to lose the arts and culture in Wales!
Please read my latest article about the awful news from Cardiff University 👇🏽
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
Cardiff University cuts: When education serves the market, society pays the price
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner Cardiff University’s recent announcement that it plans to cut 400 jobs – around 10% of its total workforce – alongside course closures and departmental mergers, h...
nation.cymru
January 30, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Really wise words from James in this article. We can't afford to lose the arts and culture in Wales!
Reposted by James Downs
Excellent, compelling, spot on. The commodification of HE in combination with Tory cuts (halved funding for all subjects they deemed non priority /non STEM) and extortionate student costs have killed off the idea of value in the pursuit of knowledge and culture. It’s conveniently dumbed us down.
January 29, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Excellent, compelling, spot on. The commodification of HE in combination with Tory cuts (halved funding for all subjects they deemed non priority /non STEM) and extortionate student costs have killed off the idea of value in the pursuit of knowledge and culture. It’s conveniently dumbed us down.
Reposted by James Downs
Great piece by @jamesldowns.bsky.social 👇🏻
‘If an institution’s ability to function is contingent on the financial choices of students from overseas, rather than the needs of the communities it serves, then it isn’t a sustainable or just system’ ✍️James Downs https://buff.ly/4gniaWy
January 29, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Great piece by @jamesldowns.bsky.social 👇🏻
Please read my latest article about the awful news from Cardiff University 👇🏽
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
Cardiff University cuts: When education serves the market, society pays the price
James Downs, Mental Health Campaigner Cardiff University’s recent announcement that it plans to cut 400 jobs – around 10% of its total workforce – alongside course closures and departmental mergers, h...
nation.cymru
January 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Please read my latest article about the awful news from Cardiff University 👇🏽
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
“If we continue down this road, Wales may end up as a country that cannot afford to teach its own language, its own arts, or its own thinkers. We will have severely limited our own future.”
nation.cymru/opinion/card...
I had great time in Switzerland last week with GALENOS. I wrote about it here:
“This is about enriching our understanding of mental health by weaving together varied ways of knowing, from laboratory findings to lived experience.”
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/co...
“This is about enriching our understanding of mental health by weaving together varied ways of knowing, from laboratory findings to lived experience.”
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/co...
Co-producing a Model a Mental Health Science That Performs for All
James Downs discusses the complexities of mental health science and the importance of co-producing research with lived experience to make it more meaningful and impactful.
www.galenos.org.uk
January 21, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I had great time in Switzerland last week with GALENOS. I wrote about it here:
“This is about enriching our understanding of mental health by weaving together varied ways of knowing, from laboratory findings to lived experience.”
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/co...
“This is about enriching our understanding of mental health by weaving together varied ways of knowing, from laboratory findings to lived experience.”
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/co...
Reposted by James Downs
Communities should be able to sustain themselves. They should not have to rely on imported or temporary wealth to fund basic services or remain viable ✍️James Downs
wp.me/p8Mk4U-TJ2
wp.me/p8Mk4U-TJ2
Second homes and tourism taxes in Wales: It’s fair play to pay
James Downs, Campaigner and Researcher Council tax premiums on second homes and the introduction of tourism taxes in holiday hotspots are polarising issues in Wales today. While critics decry these po...
wp.me
January 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Communities should be able to sustain themselves. They should not have to rely on imported or temporary wealth to fund basic services or remain viable ✍️James Downs
wp.me/p8Mk4U-TJ2
wp.me/p8Mk4U-TJ2
Reposted by James Downs
Ultimately, the question isn’t whether tourism or second homes are “good” or “bad” – it’s whether the economic activity they generate benefits the communities they rely on, rather than undermining them ✍️James Downs
Second homes and tourism taxes in Wales: It’s fair play to pay
James Downs, Campaigner and Researcher Council tax premiums on second homes and the introduction of tourism taxes in holiday hotspots are polarising issues in Wales today. While critics decry these…
buff.ly
January 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Ultimately, the question isn’t whether tourism or second homes are “good” or “bad” – it’s whether the economic activity they generate benefits the communities they rely on, rather than undermining them ✍️James Downs
If I am lucky enough to be able to buy a property, it’s absolutely right that I pay my fair share.
Just as I should pay this tax to fund vital public services, it is only reasonable to ask more of those with second homes
👇🏽
nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Just as I should pay this tax to fund vital public services, it is only reasonable to ask more of those with second homes
👇🏽
nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Second homes and tourism taxes in Wales: It’s fair play to pay
James Downs, Campaigner and Researcher Council tax premiums on second homes and the introduction of tourism taxes in holiday hotspots are polarising issues in Wales today. While critics decry these po...
nation.cymru
January 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
If I am lucky enough to be able to buy a property, it’s absolutely right that I pay my fair share.
Just as I should pay this tax to fund vital public services, it is only reasonable to ask more of those with second homes
👇🏽
nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Just as I should pay this tax to fund vital public services, it is only reasonable to ask more of those with second homes
👇🏽
nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Please read my latest for @nation.cymru on tourism taxes and second home premiums in Wales, and how we need a fair debate as well as fair policy in this area: nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Second homes and tourism taxes in Wales: It’s fair play to pay
James Downs, Campaigner and Researcher Council tax premiums on second homes and the introduction of tourism taxes in holiday hotspots are polarising issues in Wales today. While critics decry these po...
nation.cymru
January 16, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Please read my latest for @nation.cymru on tourism taxes and second home premiums in Wales, and how we need a fair debate as well as fair policy in this area: nation.cymru/opinion/seco...
Managed to catch a peep of Notre Dame en route to Switzerland today (via train!) for some exciting mental health research work with @wellcometrust.bsky.social 🙌🏼
January 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Managed to catch a peep of Notre Dame en route to Switzerland today (via train!) for some exciting mental health research work with @wellcometrust.bsky.social 🙌🏼
Take a read of our latest coproduced commentary on unmet need in eating disorders treatment. Great to collaborate with @agnesayton.bsky.social of course
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Addressing Unmet Needs in Eating Disorders Requires Systemic Change and Co‐Production: A Commentary on Ali et al. (2024)
The treatment gap for eating disorders varies significantly across healthcare systems owing to structural, cultural, and systemic barriers. A recent systematic review by Ali et al. highlighted this d...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Take a read of our latest coproduced commentary on unmet need in eating disorders treatment. Great to collaborate with @agnesayton.bsky.social of course
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...