I’m delighted to speak to Dr Caz Nahman and Dr Andrew Kirkland in this week’s episode. We discuss the role of language and the environment when considering mental health in sport.

Caz is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Caz has also completed additional training in sport psychiatry with the ISSP (International Society for Sport Psychiatry) and is currently Deputy Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatry Sports and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group.

Caz has experience working within a general child and adolescent setting as well as working in in-patient and community eating disorders services. She has previously been an elected member of the RCPsych Eating Disorders Faculty and in this role co-edited a book - New to Eating Disorders - designed as a training tool for staff new to working within this field.

Caz’s interests include compulsive overexercise; youth sport; eating disorders in athletes, autism spectrum disorders in athletes, life-style psychiatry and medical education. In addition, she is keen to improve standards of care for athletes with mental health problems.

Andrew is a Lecturer in Sports Coaching at the University of Stirling. He is also a member of the General University Ethics Panel, a Chartered Scientist and a BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (support & pedagogy).

Andrew has worked as a sport physiologist and coach developer at British Cycling and supports others in developing performance environments.

Andrew's research philosophy is driven by impact and translation of research into practice. Specifically, he uses Implementation and Behavioural Change Science to explore mental health in sport, 'merging' his practical experience with evidence-based practice with the aim of helping others to develop more effective sporting systems.