A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
One in seven high school students reported misusing prescription opioids, one of several disturbing results in a nationwide survey of teenagers that revealed a growing sense of fear and despair among youth in the United States. The numbers of teenagers reporting “feelings of sadness or hopelessness,” suicidal thoughts, and days absent from school out of fear of [...]
Today’s post is an interview with Ellen Rondina, the author of a new book called Self-Care Revolution. It's an important book I wish I'd had when I started my career as psychologist. Barb: What’s the story behind your new book, SELF-CARE REVOLUTION? Ellen: Helping professionals who have committed their life to serving others are committed to an ethical practice that includes self-care, [...]
The risks associated with social media are regularly reported in the media, and you may have experienced some of them already yourself or with your kids. A new study (Primack et al., 2018) adds important research to the discussion, finding that negative experiences on social media are significantly correlated with increased depressive feelings (a greater [...]
Defiance and tantrums are common in childhood. Parents will often tell us about the 30-minute tirade they faced because their child wanted a blue bowl, not a yellow one. Or the screaming and crying that ensued when the parent was brave enough to suggest that drawing should be reserved for paper, not walls. How, then, [...]
Days after the death of Kate Spade, and hours before Anthony Bourdain's suicide, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, announced the renewal of a third season of the hit show “13 Reasons Why.” This compelling teen drama follows the story of a teen girl's death by suicide and the aftermath among her high school peers. Despite controversy over its content, and [...]
The #MeToo movement has supported victim-survivors to speak out about a wide range of acts that constitute sexual violence. Reports have included those of rape, sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, sexual coercion, sexual harassment, and behaviours that might not fit neatly into any of these categories. These are all acts of sexual violence, but it’s [...]
Mental health services in rural and remote areas needs a complete overhaul according to the National Rural Health Alliance, which has found there are only two psychiatrists for every 100,000 people in remote Australia. NRHA undertook new analysis on the prevalence of mental health professionals in country regions, as part of its submission to the [...]
In a lifestyle change which would have seemed unbelievable a generation ago, more teenagers own a telephone than a bike. The crucible happened six years ago: 2012 was the year teen mobile phone ownership crossed the 50 per cent mark. Since then, the saturation of these hand held devices has only increased, nine out of [...]
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 [...]
