February 17, 2026

How do we solve the silent pandemic of mental illness?

Expert Encounter with Dr Lade Smith, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

Dr Lade Smith was elected President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists back in July 2023 and will be stepping down in June this year. As she reaches the end of her tenure, she came to the SMC to speak about what she sees as the biggest challenges to society and the future of children and young people because of the ongoing mental illness epidemic. She covered the largest issues facing mental healthcare, including overstretched and under-resourced services; substance use; inconsistent delivery of community care; and lack of available beds where patients need them. Dr Smith also outlined the solutions and shift in focus needed to create tangible improvements for patients, the entire health service and wider society.

Journalists came along to this Expert Encounter and asked questions about the issues raised or other aspects of mental healthcare and psychiatry they wanted to hear her thoughts on. 

In addition to President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Lade Smith is a consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), a senior lecturer at King’s College London, and Clinical Director at the NCCMH (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health).