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.

It’s ‘Digital Heroin’: How Screens Turn Kids Into Psychotic Junkies

Flickr Images Susan* bought her 6-year-old son John an iPad when he was in first grade. “I thought, ‘Why not let him get a jump on things?’ ” she told me during a therapy session. John’s school had begun using the devices with younger and younger grades — and his technology teacher had [...]

Creating A Child Safe Organisation

Child Wise Every day millions of Australian children and young people participate in educational, sporting and recreational activities provided by government and community organisations. For the majority of children and young people, involvement in these services is positive and beneficial. However, the risks of abuse to children and young people in organisations has [...]

First ‘Gold-standard’ Trial Of Ketamine’s Anti-depressant Effects Launched

Flickr Images The first “gold standard” clinical trial of ketamine for the ongoing treatment of major depression was launched in Sydney on Tuesday and will involve seven research institutions and 200 patients from across Australia and New Zealand. Several pilot studies have examined the effectiveness of ketamine for depression but these have typically [...]

Why Are So Many Of Britain’s Teen Girls Struggling With Mental Health Problems?

Pixabay Images A new study shows a worrying rise in mental health problems among teenagers in the UK. According to the Department of Education, which spoke to 30,000 pupils aged 14-15, more than one in three teen girls suffer from anxiety or depression. It's a rise of 10 per cent in the past decade, [...]

I Was Diagnosed With Autism In My 40s. It’s Not Just A Male Condition

Flickr Images Last year, in my late 40s, I was diagnosed with autism. I’ve always known I was different, and sought a formal diagnosis after the traits I’ve lived with for almost five decades became progressively more difficult to manage. I’m certainly not the only woman who has had to wait a long [...]

15 Habits That Are Costing You Happiness

Flickr Images 1. Comparing yourself to others. Comparison has been called the thief of joy and for good reason — every minute you spend wishing you were someone else is a minute of your own life wasted. Comparing yourself to others also misses the whole point of your life — to be you, [...]

‘Like A Spider That Keeps Building Its Web’: Family of Sexual Abuse Survivor Speaks Out

Pixabay Images When Meg was 12, her mother, Annie, found herself unable to look at her. Seeing her daughter made Annie feel unsettled, at times almost angry. At first, she couldn’t figure out why. “And then, Meg turned 13 and suddenly, everything slid into place for me,” Annie says. “I found myself thinking, [...]

7 Weird Facts About Empathy, Because It Depends On More Than You Think

Flickr Images Psychopathy is an area of psychological study that will forever fascinate the public, but the opposite end of the spectrum can be just as interesting. Over the course of decades, research has turned up all kinds of weird facts about empathy - where it's regulated, how it works, and what makes some [...]

‘At First, She Just Missed Breakfast’: Living With My Sister’s Eating Disorder

Hugh Johnson for the Guardian The siblings of those with anorexia or other eating disorders are often overlooked. The UK’s leading eating disorder charity, Beat, has described siblings as the “forgotten victims”. In one report on the charity’s website, eight teenagers with anorexic sisters were interviewed about their experiences. All were negatively affected, [...]

Relationships – Compassion

Flickr Images You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.. - Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. The fifth quality or value in the Relationship Quotient (RQ) is compassion. Compassion involves showing care for other people by understanding [...]

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