Staff Writer

About Generation Next

Generation Next is a social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people.

Soft Drink Sugar Overload The Tip Of Unhealthy Teen Behaviour

One in six teenage boys who drinks excessive amounts of soft drink is also more likely to be watching too much television and not getting enough sleep, a survey of Australian high school students reveals. Teenagers who drink at least a litre of soft drink each week, considered "heavy consumers', are also more likely to skimp [...]

Health Apps Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good

Fitness trackers and mental health apps could be doing more harm than good because they are not based on sound science, researchers have warned, comparing some health app developers to “snake oil salesmen of the 1860s”. Greg Hager, professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, said that in the absence of trials or scientific [...]

Brain Imaging Identifies Different Types Of Depression

For much of her life Anne Dalton battled depression. She seldom spoke with people. She stayed home a lot. The days dragged on with a sense of “why bother?” for the 61-year-old from New Jersey who used to work at a Wall Street investment firm. After trying more than a dozen combinations of antidepressant drugs [...]

The Psychology Of The Worry Spiral

Raise your hand if this scenario sounds familiar at all: You’re supposed to meet a friend for coffee at one, let’s say. It’s now 1:10 and she’s not there, and she hasn’t answered your text, either. You know, objectively, that she’s probably just stuck on the subway or something, but you still can’t help running [...]

Autism Starts Months Before Symptoms Appear

Parents often notice the first signs of autism in their children at around 12 to 18 months. Maybe a child isn’t making eye contact, or won’t smile when mom or dad walks in the door. But a new study suggests there is evidence of autism in the brain even earlier—well before a child’s first birthday—and [...]

Brutally Honest Illustrations About Struggling With Mental Illness

“I've been dealing with anxiety for as long as I can remember,” says Sow Ay, an illustrator who sketches brutally honest cartoons about his ongoing struggle with mental illness. “A few days ago I was diagnosed with panic disorder. It took a lot of time because I was scared to talk about it. But I [...]

Supporting Children Through Loss And Grief

In western culture death, and diseases such as dementia and cancer, seem to be hidden away, not generally discussed – because ‘it won’t happen to us’. Inevitably, though, the unthinkable will occur. How can we help our children cope with loss and grief, when a loved one starts to fail in mind or body, or [...]

Four Neuromyths That Are Still Prevalent In Schools – Debunked

It is no surprise that many teachers have an interest in neuroscience and psychology since areas such as memory, motivation, curiosity, intelligence and determination are highly important in education. But neuroscience and psychology are complex, nuanced subjects that come with many caveats. Although progress is being made towards understanding what helps and hinders students, there [...]

The Surprising Truth About Why We Sleep And How Much We Need

Despite fears of technology eating into our nap, we may be slumbering for longer than ever before and we may have misunderstood what sleep is for. They say that an elephant never forgets. It is also often stated that one of the functions of sleep is to consolidate memories. If both of those things were [...]

No Link Between Sunshine And Mental Health In Young Women?

If you’ve ever felt depressed, someone’s probably told you to get outdoors and soak up some tasty vitamin D. Because how could you possibly feel sad while sunbaking on the beach? According to research from the Royal Women’s Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, that advice is essentially useless for young Australian women with [...]

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