A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
High school students are now so stressed that they are visiting doctors in the hope of being able to escape the pressure of a group exam, major test, or even just everyday lessons. Experts say an epidemic of anxiety in our schools is emerging from a storm of factors including the never-ending exposure to social [...]
A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room and down the [...]
Although the first day back at school, or even the first ever day at school, can be an exciting prospect for some children, adjustment difficulties are common. Anxious feelings are expected and normal in children returning to school, changing schools, or for first timers starting kindergarten. According to a recent study conducted by the University [...]
The federal government has announced a $110m package targeting youth anxiety and depression, including $46m in funding to a beyondblue program to teach students about good mental health in early learning, primary and secondary schools. Online and phone support services including Kids Helpline and ReachOut will share an extra $1.8m in funding over two years, [...]
At a school in Perth, a group of teen girls is sitting in a circle, practising breathing techniques. One. Two. Three. Four. "I've only got a couple of minutes with them,'' a school counsellor tells me later. Why? Because if this cohort can't learn to slow-breathe in two minutes, they'll consider they've failed. Failed breathing? [...]
Owen feels compelled to make himself tiny, standing small in the corner with his arms folded while the family watches a movie. And he apologizes — a lot. This summer, as the 12-year old and his little brother Craig, 10, were gathering fallen apples near their home in the Salt Lake suburb, Craig decided to [...]
For many children, the holidays are the best time of the year. There are countless holiday parties, big extended family dinners, special religious ceremonies, parades, cookie exchanges, and so much more to look forward to. For other children, this flurry of activities sets off the alarm bells. Big crowds and unfamiliar faces can be incredibly [...]
In Gloria Steinem’s book “My Life On The Road” there’s a chapter in which she talks about how everyone has before and after moments in their life. They’re an event or instance that you come to define your life by before and after they occurred. For her, it was being a part of the Women’s [...]
Adolescence is the life stage when mental illnesses are most likely to emerge, with anxiety disorders being the most common. Recent estimates suggest that over 30 percent of teens have an anxiety disorder. That means about one of every three teenagers is struggling with anxiety that significantly interferes with their life and is unlikely to [...]
Most teachers would give anything for a few quiet minutes in the classroom, but one teacher on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE Facebook group is facing a different problem this year. “I have a little girl who spoke maybe four words all last year while in kindergarten and now that she’s in first grade is not yet [...]
