New psychosis drug, why its hard to recall 2021, and counselling in later life

All in the Mind

A new medication for psychosis is on the horizon. It's called KarXT and it could mean fewer side effects as well as finally some relief from difficulties with attention, concentration and memory - these are the symptoms patients often report as having the greatest impact on their lives but which current antipsychotics do not help with. KarXT has been through both phase 2 and 3 trials and now awaits approval by the FDA. Dr Thomas Kabir, a researcher from the University of Oxford who lives with psychosis and takes antipsychotics, talks to Claudia Hammond about the trial he is about to run with KarXT and the hopes he has for it, both professionally and personally.

And is your memory of 2021 a little shaky? If so, you wouldn't be the only one. Professor Catherine Loveday from the University of Westminster discusses a new study which asked people to date public and cultural events from the last six years and found that events from 2021 are unusually hard to pin down.

Finally, a look at counselling for people in their 70s and 80s. Counsellor Helen Kewell talks to Claudia about her new book reporting from the frontline of counselling people in later life. She tells us about the difference between a counsellor and a befriender, why we should talk more about our own death and how she handled it when one client fell asleep in their session.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Studio Manager: Tim Heffer Production Co-ordination: Siobhan Maguire Editor: Holly Squire