The Wellbeing 5 Project
Professor Ross White
Professor of Clinical Psychology & Global Mental Health Expert
The Mental Wellbeing 5 Interview
5 Simple Questions to help with mental wellbeing with answers from Experts, Thought Leaders, Campaigners & Advocates
Prof. Ross White
Ross is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at Queens University in Belfast and an expert on global mental health. He has active research collaborations with the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for reducing distress in the aftermath of humanitarian crises. He was the lead editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Sociocultural Perspectives on Global Mental Health.
In addition to his work in Global Mental Health, Ross has a keen interest in supporting the mental health and well-being of adults working in high-performance environments, including elite athletes. He was the lead author of the recently published Acceptance and Commitment Approaches for Athletes’ Wellbeing and Performance: The Flexible Mind. He has consulted with United Rugby Championship players, international track athletes, and Premier League Football Club academies. Ross is an Association of Contextual Behavioral Science peer-reviewed trainer of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Find out more about Ross here.
The Mental Wellbeing 5 Interview with Prof. Ross White
1. What is your favourite quote, anecdote, proverb or experience that helps with mental wellbeing?
Ross: ‘Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget’ – Michel de Montaigne
2. What is your top piece of advice for mental wellbeing?
Ross: Forgive yourself more. Life can be challenging. Our inner critic can be quick to make judgements about who we think we are and what other people might think about us. Developing our ability to be kinder to ourselves is so important.
3. What is the one change in the world that you would like to see? (in your area of wellbeing or in the world in general or both)
Ross: People forgiving other people more. There is much to be upset about in the world. Holding those who have done wrong to account is clearly important. But it is also important to recognise the influence that grace and forgiveness can bring. The words and actions of people like Gordon Wilson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (and the contribution that they made to the peace processes in Northern Ireland and South Africa respectively) bear witness to this. Retributive cycles of people making each other wrong can lead us to very dark places.
4. Which resources (books / websites / videos etc) for wellbeing would you recommend?
Ross: I would recommend the following books:
‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy
‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig
For those interested in supporting the wellbeing and performance of athletes please check out the following webpage www.FlexibleMind.co.uk. A free PDF version of The Flexible Mind session guides can be downloaded from here: https://tinyurl.com/2p97ha25
5. What’s the one thing that always makes you smile?
Ross: A kiss from my better half, Susan.
Bonus Question! Is there anything else pertinent you would like to add to the conversation?
Ross: The emotions we experience provide a window of opportunity to understand what matters to us in life. Being guided by what matters to us in the choices we make can create a path to a full and meaningful life.
Further Exploration - Prof. Ross White
Website: Ross White Blog
Ross's blog containing information about him and articles & information relating to his global mental health research.
Book: Acceptance and Commitment Approaches for Athletes’ Wellbeing and Performance: The Flexible Mind
Ross's book providing a new intervention for mental wellbeing and sporting performance. It explores the efficacy of psychological interventions for enhancing performance and mental health. The book aims to help athletes build ‘psychological flexibility’
Article: We can't 'copy-paste' mental health support across the globe
Ross's article published on semi-colon.com looking at various forms of therapeutic approaches, the research behind how they fit with different cultures and how we can't just "copy-paste" mental health support across the globe.
Social Media - Connect with Ross & The Flexible Mind Below
More Mental Wellbeing 5 Interviews Below
More Mental Wellbeing 5 Interviews
With answers from experts, thought leaders, advocates and campaigners to help with mental wellbeing