One Immune Voice is hosted by Claudia Hammond, an author and broadcaster specialising in health and psychology

 In this launch episode, Claudia is joined by representatives from the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and The Psoriasis Association and we also hear from a person living with psoriasis

· Episode one explores managing mental health and wellbeing when living with autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions, launching in February 2023 and available to listen on Spotify, Apple, Soundcloud and Google

Developed by Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, in partnership with six leading UK patient organisations, the new podcast series One Immune Voice will help to support people affected by autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions, including advice on how best to navigate the healthcare system, what good supported self-management looks like, and how to manage your mental health and wellbeing when living with an autoimmune or immune-mediated condition.

The six patient organisations who have been instrumental in developing and contributing to the One Immune Voice podcast series are:

·        Crohn’s & Colitis UK (CCUK)

·        IBDrelief

·        Lupus UK

·        National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS)

·        National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and

·        The Psoriasis Association 

The series, hosted by Claudia Hammond, an author and broadcaster specialising in health and psychology, will share first-hand experiences from people living with autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions, and provide insight into the challenges faced alongside practical advice from patient organisations. 

Claudia Hammond said “Whether you are living with an autoimmune or immune-mediated condition, know someone who is, or even if you work in the health sector, One Immune Voice  will provide insight into the often invisible challenges that millions of people in the UK face. I hope that this series raises awareness and helps drive understanding and support for those affected.”

Episode one of One Immune Voice explores how to manage your mental health and wellbeing when living with autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions. During this episode, Claudia interviews Clare Jacklin, Chief Executive, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and Dominic Urmston, Patient Advocacy and Communications Manager, The Psoriasis Association[i]. Listeners also hear from Joel, who was officially diagnosed with psoriasis in his mid-twenties.

Highlights from episode one include:

·        Clarification on the terms autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions

·        Exploration into why and how chronic autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions can impact a person’s mental health

·        First-hand experience from Joel, a person living with psoriasis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis

·        The positive benefits of talking about your condition with family, friends, and employers

·        How healthcare professionals can better support people living with autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions

·        Practical advice on managing your mental health particularly around flare ups

Kate Downey, UK Patient Engagement Lead, Janssen said, “Many people living with a long-term condition can feel isolated. We developed One Immune Voice, alongside six patient organisations, with a mission to unite those with autoimmune and immune-mediated conditions. Our aim with this podcast series is to help those affected to feel more empowered and better able to navigate the healthcare system, understand and self-manage their condition and improve their mental health and wellbeing. We hope that One Immune Voice will support and enable conversations with family and friends, healthcare providers and patient organisations.

Clare Jacklin, Chief Executive, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society wants listeners to episode one to know that support is available to help them with their mental health and wellbeing, “One Immune Voice aims to help people realise that they’re not alone with how they are feeling. Being able to hear other people’s stories will hopefully inspire listeners to communicate more about their condition, whether in real life or through online communities. Sharing experiences of your autoimmune or immune-mediated condition can have a positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing.”

Dominic Urmston, Patient Advocacy and Communications Manager, The Psoriasis Association recognised the contribution that the podcast series could make to listeners’ lives, “Mental health and wellbeing is so important for all of us and it’s fantastic that the first episode of One Immune Voice focuses on this topic. I hope that listeners are inspired by the stories they hear throughout this series and find our conversations helpful, whether they have an autoimmune or immune-mediated condition themselves, or know someone who has, or even whether they are a healthcare professional. It’s well worth a listen.”

Launching in February 2023, One Immune Voice will be available to listen to and download via Spotify, Apple, Soundcloud and Google podcast platforms. New episodes will be issued on a weekly basis.