A Space to Speak Your Mind: The Potential for Coproduced Community Radio to Improve Mental Wellbeing

Jerry PADFIELD¹

¹City, University of London, London, United Kingdom

Introduction

Community Radio has existed in a government-regulated way in the United Kingdom since 2004. There are now over 300 stations across the country serving a variety of communities, based on location, ethnicity and faith. Community Radio has proven health benefits for both listeners and practitioners (broadcasters, studio staff and management) in terms of mental health, social and community wellbeing. The Practice Research project "A Space to Speak Your Mind" (ASTSYM) sought to use innovative methods to coproduce a lived experience radio show and podcast about mental health. It then interviewed participants to establish whether CR practice can generate mental wellbeing benefits.

Methods

A lived experience radio show and podcast was coproduced at Source FM, a CR station in Cornwall, Southwest UK. Participants were recruited through the mental health charity Mind, who also provided safeguarding and mental health support for participants. The content and format of the show were codesigned by the participants. Shows were recorded, written, edited and presented by people with lived experience of poor mental health. After a year, participants and stakeholders were interviewed for their perceived mental wellbeing benefits.

Results

All participants in the practice reported an improvement in mental wellbeing in four of the Five Ways to Wellbeing developed by the New Economics Foundation (Connect, Take Notice, Learn, Give). The radio show continues three years later and is now broadcast on five CR stations n Cornwall. The show has won 7 awards at the UK Community Radio Awards including Gold for Specialist Content Show in 2023.

Discussion-conclusion

The method used for ASTSYM shows the potential for lived experience coproduced radio shows to be developed at CR stations across the UK, discussing the mental health concerns of the communities they serve, as well as improving the wellbeing of the participants.