A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
In recognition of threats posed by increasingly prevalent electronic devices, the bible for the psychiatric profession, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), will include internet-use disorder as a condition ''recommended for further study'' in its revised edition, the DSM-V, which will be issued in May. The inclusion classifies internet-use disorder alongside other [...]
Most parents would do anything to help their children be happy and successful. But too much involvement can be detrimental as a new study shows that college students with overcontrolling parents are more likely to be depressed and less satisfied with their lives. Experts say this “helicopter parenting” style — hovering over and micro-managing their child’s [...]
Media is everywhere. Increasingly children are directly targeted and marketed to by media and advertising who are projecting images that are age inappropriate. The sexualisation of children by the media can be seen in adult style clothing for young girls, sexual references on clothing for boys and girls, music videos, billboards and magazines. Melinda Tankard [...]
This so-called rite-of-passage – more like a week-long binge – sees hundreds arrested for serious assault, drunk and disorderly conduct, drug possession and obstructing police. Scarce resources are deployed to mop up the mess. Many girls suffer sexual violence. Some families are left grieving the loss of a child who died at a schoolies event. [...]
A new study shows a strong, early penchant for gothic, punk, heavy metal and hardcore dance music can be a predictor of teens who will go astray. Lovers of "deviant" music by age 12 were "more engaged in minor delinquency in late adolescence", the four-year study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found. The bad behaviour [...]
The emerging youth mental health crisis makes it clear to mental health professionals, educators and researchers that for some reason our young people are having ever-greater difficulty controlling their mental and emotional content, their inner world. The situation reminds me of the iconic book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are.4 This book was published in 1963 and [...]
Of course we all know that relationships are central to teaching, and of course we all know that good relationships are pre-cursor to good teaching. But I wonder if we can clarify what a good Teacher/Student relationship looks like? In my experience good relationships in the classroom don’t depend on likeability as such. By that [...]
My tilt at sobriety came after 20 years of partying that had left me physically and emotionally spent. It was ironic, given my job. Sunday Age readers may remember an article I wrote at the time, in which I outed myself as the binge-drinking health reporter. During the week I wrote about Australia's booze-soaked culture. [...]
Sure, being financially and materially well off is a legitimate and worthwhile goal, and our ingrained drive for possessions and status keeps our consumer economy vibrant. But, as those great philosophers Lennon and McCartney remind us, money can't buy us love. via Material obsessions wither the spirit.
According to three new studies, Facebook can be tough on mental health, offering an all-too-alluring medium for social comparison and ill-advised status updates. And while adding a friend on the social networking site can make people feel cheery and connected, having a lot of friends is associated with feeling worse about one's own life. The [...]
