Authors' reply

We thank Dr Lyne and colleagues and Dr Johansson for their correspondence regarding our editorial in the May edition of BJPsych.¹

We were interested to hear Dr Lyne's experience of running the Twitter account for the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine (@irishjournpsych), the research journal of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. We agree than Twitter facilitates kinetic and fast-paced communication with a significantly broader reach than traditional journal readership. It can allow us to engage the public and raise the profile of research among policymakers, increasing the potential impact on public policy and services. Dr Johansson highlights evidence that social media is able to shape public opinion, inspire and mobilise people – for better or worse. Social media has the potential to bring about change that would benefit our patients and the health service.

The Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine and the BJPsych have embarked on social media communication with careful consideration, if not some trepidation. The challenge of representing a consensus opinion within a college or journal, as Dr Lyne and colleagues described, is perhaps one shared with other membership organisations. In addition, debates in mental health often require more nuance than Twitter can provide. Dr Johansson suggests that social media might be more effective if you take an assertive approach. Indeed, politicians who have a confrontational style on Twitter have succeeded in attracting attention and influencing public discourse, drawing both praise and criticism. The Royal College of Psychiatrists will soon release new guidelines on social media for its members. Time will tell how successful the BJPsych will be in positioning itself in this brave new world.