Emotional, behaviour and mental health support

DMD Care UK has funded four posts to improve psychosocial care in DMD:

• Dr Rory Conn, paediatric psychiatrist based at the Devon Partnership Trust in Exeter 
• Dr Dot Bindman, an adult psychiatrist based at UCL Hospitals Trust, Queen Square in London 
• Dr Chloe Geagan, a paediatric clinical psychologist at The John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre at Newcastle University
•  Dr Linda Bouquillon, an adult clinical psychologist based at UCL Hospitals Trust, Queen Square, London   

These posts will carry out research to help establish national guidelines for psychosocial care in DMD. They will also offer some direct support to patients. 

The psychiatrists will be working one day a week and will see patients face-to-face and online. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can diagnose mental health problems and prescribe medication. 

The clinical psychologists will see patients at their local centres, and will also offer guidance on treating psychological problems in DMD to healthcare professionals at other centres. Clinical psychologists will work with patients and their families to identify and work through their difficulties. They provide therapeutic support, but cannot prescribe medication. 

You will need a referral from your neuromuscular consultant or another specialist to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or psychologist. 

The psychiatrists will be able to take referrals from across the UK for online appointments, whereas the clinical psychologists will see patients locally.   

Note that some assessments and diagnoses - such as for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - cannot be made online. Psychiatrists may make a referral to your local centre for these assessments. 

We recognise that these posts will not be able to meet the full level of demand. However, DMD Care UK will assess the level of unmet need to provide evidence to local services of the importance of psychosocial care. We will also develop guidance, so that professionals across the UK can better support DMD patients' mental health and wellbeing.