A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Lorraine Pascale, a chef and regular guest on the BBC’s cooking programme, Saturday Kitchen, recently admitted that she struggled with an eating disorder. For many, it would seem counter-intuitive that a person with an eating disorder would spend so much time around food. But an obsession with food is often linked with eating disorders, highlighting [...]
Facebook will allow users to livestream attempts to self-harm because it “doesn’t want to censor or punish people in distress who are attempting suicide”, according to leaked documents. However, the footage will be removed “once there’s no longer an opportunity to help the person” – unless the incident is particularly newsworthy. The policy was formulated [...]
New research has revealed that apps installed on smartphones can be used to significantly reduce anxiety. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study is the first ever meta-analysis of all published evidence on the effect of smartphone-based therapies on anxiety in 1,837 people. The research is a collaboration between The University of Manchester, [...]
Were you one of the more than 16,000 people who completed ABC's How 'mental health smart' are you? quiz a couple of years back? If so, a team of Melbourne University researchers would like to thank you. Your answers have provided important insights that could help shape future mental health education campaigns. "We certainly have [...]
New research has revealed a link between the gut and the brain in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and established it could be triggered by a traumatic childhood. The exact cause of this common, long-term condition of the digestive system - which is often linked to diet - is not fully understood. However, it [...]
Good sleep is essential for our mental well-being. Just one night of disturbed sleep can leave us feeling cranky, flat, worried, or sad the next day. So it’s no surprise sleeping problems, like difficulty falling asleep, not getting enough sleep, or regularly disrupted sleep patterns, are associated with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression, which [...]
Mental health is an area that is finally getting some attention as a real and serious health issue, though we still have so far to go. Part of removing the stigma around mental health is understanding the various types of disorders people can be diagnosed with. There are many disorders, both under the anxiety and [...]
There is a scene in James Redford’s new film, Resilience, in which a paediatrician cites a parental misdeed so outmoded as to seem bizarre. “Parents used to smoke in the car with kids in the back and the windows rolled up,” she says, incredulous. How long ago those days now seem; how wise today’s parents [...]
Doctors are warning about the risks of relying on smartphone mindfulness apps, offering meditation and breathing exercises, for your mental health. The apps have become some of the most popular downloads, offering everything from improved creativity to pain relief. But Dr Quinn Grundy, a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, has [...]
Most research into teen bullying tends to focus only on the victim. This means we know little about how the bully is affected. A new Australian study shows that teenagers who have been both a victim and a bully are at greatest risk of mental health problems, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Bullies are victims [...]
