A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Dr Justin Coulson Rae is a funny, bubbly, precocious, and remarkably talented 13 year-old girl. She is talkative, clearly intelligent, and insightful. She is also a victim of psychological and emotional abuse. She is regularly yelled at, called names, threatened, and shamed. Rae’s step-father uses his physical presence to instill fear in Rae, even when [...]
Where would you sit on a scale stretching from ‘not happy’ to ‘too happy’? Find out in this five-minute test from psychologists at Oxford Brookes University. Can happiness be measured? The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire attempts to do just that. Developed by Michael Argyle and Peter Hills of Oxford Brookes University, and originally published in 2002 [...]
Free and unstructured play outdoors encourages problem solving, social skills and many other forms of development. It’s an ideal environment for experiential learning, as it offers unique opportunities to be creative, to move around, and for children to make choices, be loudor quiet. Outside, kids can explore, take risks, run as fast as they can, [...]
Exactly one year ago, I began deconstructing the beauty myth. It was prompted by a question from my seven-year-old daughter, as she watched my elaborate ritual. "Mum, why do women put on make-up and men don't?" she asked. "Darling, society has unrealistic expectations about the way women look," I replied. "It's not fair. But I'm [...]
From "Forgive for Good" (Harper Collins, 2002) By Frederic Luskin, Ph.D. 1. Know exactly how you feel about what happened and be able to articulate what about the situation is not OK. Then, tell a couple of trusted people about your experience. 2. Make a commitment to yourself to do what you have to do [...]
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterised by disturbances in a person’s thoughts, perceptions, emotions and behaviour. The illness affects around 26 million people across the world. Despite being a treatable disorder, more than 50% of people with schizophrenia cannot access adequate treatment, and 90% of people with untreated schizophrenia live in the developing world. [...]
A child’s emotional health is far more important to their satisfaction levels as an adult than other factors, such as if they achieve academic success when young, or wealth when older. The authors explain that evaluating the quality of a child’s emotional health is based on analysing a range of internal factors in a person’s early [...]
Most Australians say stress is affecting their mental health and there is a widening wellbeing gap between the sexes, a new mental health report says. The Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) survey of stress and wellbeing also found 2014 was a tough year for women, with many reporting significantly higher levels of stress in their day-to-day [...]
Stories can be a way for humans to feel that we have control over the world. They allow people to see patterns where there is chaos, meaning where there is randomness. Humans are inclined to see narratives where there are none because it can afford meaning to our lives—a form of existential problem-solving. - CODY C. [...]
It is generally well accepted that females experience greater levels of depression and anxiety than males. This is true, not only during adulthood, but also during adolescence. While there is a range of suggestions as to why – including the idea that ‘men are tough and don’t talk to doctors or psychologists’, recent research offers an important [...]
