Two of the authors were general practitioners (GPs) in the 1980s, when there was much interest in consultation, stimulated by the psychoanalyst Michael Balint. Around one in five psychiatrists worked in consultation liaison in general practice at that time, but in the 1990s this was stopped to increase the focus on psychosis. However, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Royal College of General Practitioners have a strong history of collaboration, and many psychiatrists, nurses and GPs trained together in the national Trailblazers programme, focusing on service delivery in all areas of mental health. Recent proposals for mental health community collaborative networks from the NHS provide an opportunity for psychiatrists to work with GPs and a range of other professionals once more, for complex non-psychotic illness that cannot be helped by Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services. The circle is closing for GPs like us, who were working in the 1980s.

This opinion piece responds to Marcus Evans's ‘Freedom to Think’ regarding treating adolescents diagnosed with gender dysphoria (DSM)/gender incongruence (ICD). Evans notes not everything is known about GD/GI, particularly its ‘causes’. Although correct, he presents this fact as a rationale for delaying treatment for all children presenting with GD/GI symptoms. However, Marcus does not specify how long such prolonged evaluations should last nor does he have much of an evidence base to support his recommendation. This author believes delaying treatment for GD/GI adolescents who need it for the benefit of children who ‘aren’t really’ transgender is an ethically troubling issue.

Previous research remarks on the role of the mass media in shaping our world-view and values. It is relevant for the psychiatric field since the literature suggests that the media and artistic representations emphasise violent and criminal behaviours of people with mental disorders. In contrast to the study of other artistic manifestations, depictions in music are much less explored. This article examines the subcultural portrayals of psychiatry-related violent and criminal behaviours in Spanish popular music; particularly, the dimensions of intertextuality and trivialisation. These aspects are relevant since trivialisation may contribute to a distorted and oversimplified view of mental disorders, while intertextuality can play a role in the dissemination, amplification and reinforcement of social beliefs regarding psychiatric problems.

Treatment-resistant depression is a complex condition often requiring specialist psychiatric care. Many different psychiatric, physical and social factors can lead to a poor response to initial treatment of depression, and a careful assessment is required to determine the most appropriate management option. This can be particularly complex in the older population, who often have multiple physical and social comorbidities. We have used a fictional case to illustrate this, alongside an anonymised vignette of someone with personal experience of this condition. We have also provided an overview of the current evidence for treatment options, as well as a discussion of potential aetiological factors. By the end of this article, readers should understand the ambiguity of this diagnostic term, the aetiological factors that need to be assessed and the rationale for the treatment options available. They should be able to recognise how these ideas apply to the geriatric population.

MRCPsych courses play a key role in helping trainees prepare for Membership examinations and specialist training. Historically, their social aspect, although arguably as important, has perhaps not been sufficiently prioritised. During a pandemic, when teaching is largely delivered virtually, the social benefit of meeting peers is highlighted by its absence. Given the future likelihood of increased virtual teaching, it is of paramount importance to explore ways of enhancing the sociability of teaching courses. In addition to the social needs of trainees, there is a recognised need to increase and integrate the neuroscience component of the curriculum to better meet the needs of modern day mental health research, treatment and practice. This article describes how the Birmingham MRCPsych course successfully addressed both these issues with a 2-day ‘residential’ in October 2019, and considers whether future residentials could be delivered virtually.