What causes mental distress and what can be done about it? What factors in the external environment affect mental health? This album examines the ways in which social, environmental, economic and political factors shape and constrain our understandings and experiences of mental health and distress. It explores the wide range of diverse and frequently competing perspectives that characterise the world of mental health and looks at the impact of these perspectives on mental health practice and service provision. In a set of academic perspectives, Jonathan Leach of The Open University's School of Health and Social Welfare explains why the case studies were selected, and how they fit in with the aims of the course. He also describes how he became involved in the field of mental health education.

This material forms part of The Open University course K225 Diverse perspectives on mental health.

We are all likely to experience pain at some stage in our lives. But, how do you deal with constant, chronic pain? Learning to manage severe pain on a daily basis takes a phenomenal amount of mental and physical strength. The 7 video tracks in this album introduce patients and doctors at the Royal Free Hospital's Pain Clinic and the Real Health Institute in London. They explore the causes of pain, the changes it brings to the lives of sufferers and the ways in which drugs, surgery, physiotherapy and cognitive therapies can help control it.

This material forms part of The Open University course SDK125 Introducing health sciences: a case study approach.

John Oates looks at cause-effect links in child development, and examines how much weight we should give to media scare stories

How can we prevent a country from returning to civil war? When and how should external parties intervene in serious conflicts? This album looks at the decade of violence and destruction that occurred in Sierra Leone in the 1990's. Now that peace has finally come about through the efforts of the international community, it's time to debate whether the root causes of war have been adequately addressed, and what lessons can be learned. 50% of Sierra Leoneans are under 15 and unskilled. Lack of education, poverty and unemployment are still rife and it's this lack of development that gives rise to conflict. Views from all sides are presented, including those of women, disaffected youth, members of the RUF and the new peace-keeping forces, to provide an in-depth analysis of the complexities of the aftermath of a civil war. In the academic perspective, Helen Yanocopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development at The Open University provides insight into the educational value of the Sierra Leone case study. This material is taken from The Open University course TU875 War, intervention and development.

Have you ever wondered what causes cyclones, and why it's always calm in the centre of the storm? Well, vector calculus holds the key. The tracks on this album introduce you to the scalar and vector fields of gradient, divergence and curl. This material makes up part of the course MST209, Mathematical methods and models.