Mental Health & Wellbeing

Suicide voyeur has case overturned

The conviction of an American ‘‘suicide voyeur’’ who encouraged a British man and Canadian woman to take their own lives in an internet chat room has been overturned on free speech grounds. - Philip Sherwell via Suicide voyeur William Melchert-Dinkel, who posed as a female nurse and went by the name 'Falcon Girl', has case overturned.

Frequent childhood nightmares may indicate an increased risk of psychotic traits

Children who suffer from frequent nightmares or bouts of night terrors may be at an increased risk of psychotic experiences in adolescence, according to new research that shows that children reporting frequent nightmares before the age of 12 were three and a half times more likely to suffer from psychotic experiences in early adolescence. Similarly, [...]

Brain development in the first three years of life- Radio New Zealand interview

Nathan Mikaere Wallis is part of the Brain Wave Trust, and X Factor Education, Christchurch. He has been a lecturer at the Christchurch College of Education, lecturing in human development, brain development, language and communication and risk and resilience. Nathan has a background of working with children in counselling settings relating to domestic violence, sexual [...]

ADHD: Diagnosis may be a distraction from the truth

Chicago doctor Richard Saul argues in his deliberately controversial book ADHD Does Not Exist, which has just been published in Australia. ''Not a single individual - not even the person who finds it close to impossible to pay attention or sit still - is afflicted by the disorder called ADHD,'' Saul says. Yet he sees [...]

Your child’s lunchbox rating may be written in the stars

A ham and cheese sandwich, muesli bar and milk popper might seem the typical combo for a school lunch box. But the differences in the overall nutritional value can be huge, depending on the brands. Consumer group Choice has applied the algorithm for the healthy food star rating system - controversially removed by Assistant Health [...]

‘Intelligent people are more likely to trust others’

Intelligent people are more likely to trust others, while those who score lower on measures of intelligence are less likely to do so, says a new study. Oxford University researchers based their finding on an analysis of the General Social Survey, a nationally representative public opinion survey carried out in the United States every one [...]

Am I Too Crazy To Work in Mental Health?

This is an edited extract of a blog post by Polly Chester. Read the full piece here.   I’ve learned that knowledge of mental health practice can give us a dangerous and false sense of galvanization against what we advocate for. The conversation I had with the previously unknown general practitioner who recently assessed me said [...]

Too Busy For A Thumbs Up

Too busy for a ‘Thumbs Up?’   My 5-year-old son attends swimming lessons each and every Sunday. It’s a busy pool with multiple classes going on at once.   During lessons parents sit around the pool and watch their offspring splash around, offering words of encouragement, the occasional ‘thumbs up’ and many smiles of pride. [...]

Racial Bias In Pain Perception Appears Among Children As Young As 7

A new University of Virginia psychology study has found that a sample of mostly white American children – as young as 7, and particularly by age 10 – report that black children feel less pain than white children. The study, which builds on previous research on bias among adults involving pain perception, is published in the Feb. 28 issue [...]

Arguments In The Home Linked With Babies’ Brain Functioning

Being exposed to arguments between parents is associated with the way babies' brains process emotional tone of voice, according to a new study to be published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The study, conducted by graduate student Alice Graham with her advisors Phil Fisher and Jennifer Pfeifer of the University [...]

Go to Top