Mental health is becoming a more widely discussed topic. It’s apparent that maintaining positive mental health can contribute to stronger overall well-being. However, there is a stigma commonly associated with mental health issues that often prevents those from seeking help. Where do we begin? Our children. 14 percent of Australian children between the ages of [...]
Every couple of years a book or article arrives diagnosing parents with catastrophic spinelessness. The power pyramid has been inverted, they warn, and the children are in, and therefore out of, control. "Command. Don't ask. Don't negotiate," instructs Leonard Sax in his 2016 book "The Collapse of Parenting," in which he blames parents for a [...]
A mum has urged the NHS to diagnose her 15-year-old son with gaming addiction, as she says he has become so consumed by online games that he has not been to school for a year. Kendall Palmer, from north London, told The Telegraph she has fought for three years to have her son’s condition recognised [...]
The heart-rending suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain shocked and upset us. Here were two eminently successful people who ended their own lives. Why would they do this? How could they have achieved so much, yet not want to keep living? Their suicides struck most of us as not only tragic, but bewildering. In the aftermath of [...]
Every Friday morning in the small Queensland town of Gin Gin, a group of students with special needs are learning how to train and handle alpacas at the local high school. It is a unique animal-assisted therapy program unlike any other in Australia. "We're trying to create an opportunity for these students to overcome some [...]
“Failure is not an option” is a line immortalized in the movie “Apollo 13.” The maxim was the mission ethic of NASA engineers who fought to save the damaged Apollo 13 space capsule in 1970. The line has become so emblematic of persistence in the face of catastrophe that teenagers, professionals and leaders around the world [...]
Young people with depression should be reassured that their poor concentration and memory are often part of the illness and don't mean they're "dumb", says an expert in mental health. An Australian study has revealed widespread cognitive functioning difficulties among teens and adolescents with depression. The findings, published in the journal Neuropsychology Review, have prompted [...]
If you’ve ever had anxiety, you will know that it’s a complex illness that can have a debilitating effect on every day life. According to the Black Dog Institute, anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. It’s important to seek help to manage anxiety. While there are many effective psychological and medical [...]
What if I am wrong? A common question. Should I report or not report? A common misstep. When there is reasonable suspicion of child sexual abuse, you must report your suspicions to the police or child protective services or both. But why do many adults fail to act —fail to do what is in the [...]
Mummy blogs and parenting forums have cornered the market on family advice, but research has found many people won't seek help because of a fear of judgement. The pressure to portray a perfect family image is blocking parents, especially low-income earners or those with health problems, from reaching out. Research from the Queensland Family and [...]
