A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Combatting loneliness needs good coaching from parents. It’s worth asking ourselves as parents whether we should be worried about the number of friends our children have. Increasingly, I hear parents complaining that their child seems isolated, or doesn’t have “real” friends that they spend enough time with. Indeed, a Childtrends report found that up to 30% of teens [...]
Christina’s sister was 28 when she was formally diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, though Christina, who asked that we not use her last name to protect her family’s privacy, says there had been signs of the disorder for years. Beginning in her teens, Christina’s sister, now 30, struggled with eating disorders, self-harm, addiction and suicide [...]
Teaching kids sleep hygiene may be an easy way to reduce crime. People comparing current crime rates with those of past decades tend to agree that today’s numbers should be lower. And new research points to a relatively easy way to do that: Help teens get more sleep. Researchers found that teens who reported feeling drowsy in [...]
Does your child have a hard time keeping one bit of information in mind while he’s doing something else? For example, if he’s helping make spaghetti and the phone rings, does he forget he needs to go back and keep stirring the sauce? If he often has trouble with such tasks, he might have working memory issues. [...]
“Traditional” bullying like name-calling and exclusion still far outstrips cyber-bullying among teens - despite the huge popularity of social media, researchers have claimed. A study published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal found that only 1% are victims of just cyber-bullying, compared to 27% who are just abused in person. Instead, experts say that it [...]
One in 10 teenagers surveyed as part of a national study said they had self-harmed and one in 20 reported having attempted suicide. Research has uncovered worrying rates of self harm and suicidal behaviour among Australian teenagers. Data released from The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children shows 10 per cent of 14-15 year-olds reported self [...]
Low-carbohydrate eating plans continue to be popular. And while there is no official definition of a low-carb diet, most advise curbing or eliminating some or all grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables. Preteens and adolescents may be particularly interested in trying carbohydrate-restricting diets due to the promised weight loss. Or, maybe an older relative is following [...]
As a teenager, few things are as important as having close friends with whom to share intimate secrets over long phone conversations. But do these friendships also benefit us into adulthood? A new study investigates.Researchers at the University of Virginia (UV) in Charlottesville set out the examine the long-term impact of having strong friendships in [...]
Five-year-old Josie Barnabee, of Libertyville, Illinois, and her 3-year-old brother, Ben, have more "honorary" grandparents than they can count. Since they were babies, they've spent one morning a week at Winchester House, a local nursing home, where they exchange hugs, sing songs, play games, and talk with the elderly residents. "When they walk out of [...]
Youth homelessness is Australia’s national disgrace, with 44,000 kids sleeping rough right now YOUNG people with a mental illness are three times more likely to wind up homeless, after which their prospects of positive health and social outcomes dwindle significantly. A new report by the charity Mission Australia will be released, identifying the major risk factors that [...]
