A lot of research on happiness and subjective well-being has been done over the last fifty years or so – seems like everyone wants to determine the exact formula for joy. While there is never going to be a specific prescription for attaining happiness, there are some important findings that can be guidelines for us. Here are [...]
When we think of renewal we often think of rebirth; something old dies and something new is born. This year, winter seems to be hanging on, unwilling to give way to spring and the promise of new life. Although we have a little way to go to really enjoy the warmth and light that spring [...]
Young adults are more likely to feel lonely than older age groups, says a study from the Office for National Statistics. The research found that almost 10% of people aged 16 to 24 were "always or often" lonely - the highest proportion of any age group. This was more than three times higher than people [...]
The number of students being suspended or expelled from Australian schools is “skyrocketing”, according to news reports. These note a 10% increase in suspensions over two years at NSW primary schools and that students in south-western Sydney are being suspended more than four times as often as students in other parts of the city. Suspension and [...]
Researchers have found that when a person rates their current mental health as 'positive' despite meeting criteria for a mental health problem such as depression, it can predict good mental health in the future, even without treatment. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Sirry Alang of Lehigh University and her co-authors, Donna D. [...]
It’s the end of the term and you’re ready to face the big final exam you’ve been studying all month for. You’ve went to every lecture, read every chapter, and memorized every formula and key term there is to know. You’ve never felt more confident about a test before. The big day arrives. You’re feeling a bit anxious. [...]
Once upon a time I’d have thought that a heartbeat that remains steady and unvarying is a sign of strength. But to my surprise, cardiac consistency is the hobgoblin of weaker minds and bodies. “The stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind,” the martial artist [...]
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a terrifying or life-threatening event or series of events. We usually associate the disorder with war, or acts of terror and extreme violence, but a difficult childbirth, a car accident, the death of a loved one, chronic illness, [...]
It is normal for parents to argue, but the way these disagreements affect children varies greatly. What can parents and carers do to limit the harm caused by their rows? What happens at home really does affect children's long-term mental health and development. But it is not only the relationship between the parent and child [...]
Parents who endured “toxic stress” during childhood may be more likely to have kids with developmental delays and have a harder time coping with their children’s health issues, new research suggests. Adverse childhood experiences, commonly called ACEs, can include witnessing parents fight or go through a divorce, having a parent with a mental illness or [...]
