A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Professor Susan Sawyer spoke at the 2015 Melbourne Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People seminar. Her presentation on Obesity and Body Image was acclaimed by hundreds of teachers, counsellors and social workers who attended the seminar. Her talk was recorded and can be viewed below.
Think of two teenagers you have regular contact with: one who is resilient and happy, and one who is struggling and languishing. Imagine you are interviewing each of them, and you ask them to respond to each of these six questionnaire items: 1. I think I am doing pretty well 2. I can think of [...]
The debate about the use of marijuana for medical treatment has developed considerably over the past 12 months and has been highly publicised in the media. I recently presented one of our Party Safe Education seminars in a school where students had just completed a debate about the legalisation of marijuana. When presenting the information [...]
Helping the next generation live with feelings, not pathologise them. Young people in our society are increasingly worried and upset – not about any aspect of their life in particular - but about being worried and upset. This is a relatively new phenomenon. In the 1980s, surveys of teens showed they were worried about school, [...]
Some insights on how to relieve pain using psychology, with links to the studies: Clutch some money. Don’t curl up in a ball. Sit up straight. Swear. Laugh. Listen to good music. - Barking Up The Wrong Tree Source: How to Relieve Pain Using Psychology: 10 Tips From Research | TIME
A few years ago, I felt as though my life had collapsed, and I fell into a severe depression. I lost the ability to stand up for myself, I backed away from conflict, I didn't believe in myself and I was afraid of what people thought of me. It was not long before I lost [...]
Bullying remains a troubling issue in our schools. In 2013, one in three Australian children aged 10-11 reported being bullied (Lodge & Baxter, 2013). Children who are bullied at school are at a greater risk of experiencing serious psychological problems later in life (Ronning et al 2009, Rigby 2015). Children who engage in bullying behaviour are more likely to become involved in criminal activities as adults (Ttofi et al. 2012, Rigby, 2015). This far reaching impact is too great for [...]
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are associated with significant physical complications. Eating disorders not only involve considerable psychological impairment and distress, but they are also associated with major wide-ranging and serious medical complications, which can affect every major organ in the body. Eating disorders occur in both men and women, young and old, [...]
Fewer than one in four young people with autism continue their education after school. Too often, colleges and universities are just not equipped or well-enough prepared to support young people with autism to move into further or higher education. There are also problems with their transition from school. Even where schools do provide support for [...]
Fear is a survival tactic that is built into our species. You are all familiar with the fight or flight syndrome, and that is where your fear originates. In the early days of mankind, the human body's fight or flight syndrome was meant to protect you from the dangers in your environment. Today, however, your [...]
