A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
An anonymous website where children can report harmful behaviour is uncovering self-harm clubs, drug dealing, bullying and illegal activity at an increasing rate. Former Sunshine Coast teacher Rachel Downie started Stymie several years ago to provide a safe space for bystander children to speak up without fear. After a school signs up to the program, students can [...]
What is wrong with our children today? According to a joint report from The Black Dog Institute and Mission Australia, around one in four teenagers have experienced a "probable mental illness", which means one in five have had depression or anxiety or both. According to the same report, teenage girls are twice as likely as [...]
On the outside, you’re highly productive, successful and motivated. You have a big group of friends, a great job and seem to have life all sorted out. But on the inside, you’re gripped by low self-worth and the pressure to be perfect. Sound familiar? This is the reality for those who have high functioning depression. They [...]
Want to feel better about yourself? Stop following people on social media who make you feel insecure, fat or ugly - it’s probably a very long list. In this age of filters and fakery, there are too many perfect people with perfect lives. Even Selena Gomez, said to be the most followed Instagrammer on the [...]
When you're feeling down, it's sometimes difficult to pull yourself out of a hole. But new research suggests that the climb out may not be as tough as it may seem. ACKNOWLEDGE: Words are powerful ways to change your emotions. Tagging what you are feeling with a descriptive word is more than just an explanation. Called [...]
The parents and carers I meet through my job as a child and adolescent psychiatrist often tell me about young people in their lives who are suffering from anxiety or low mood. I can sometimes hear an element of desperation or hopelessness in their voice, which may come from the fact they have no idea what [...]
They say children are like sponges and imitate what their parents do and say. This can be cute but it can also become a problem, especially if what they are imitating is body-shaming and negative self-talk about food. This is not effective and can often cause negative side-effects for your children and family. But it doesn't have [...]
Being a parent can be terrifying. You spend your days trying to protect tiny humans when every instinct in their body is telling them to rebel against your good advice. Toddlers have a meltdown when forced to hold hands while crossing the road and teenagers sulk when you tell them they cannot have a phone or [...]
Cybersecurity experts have recommended that the government increase the digital age of consent from 13 to 16 because of safety risks for children. They were “unequivocally” opposed to the Irish government’s position where children can sign legal agreements with online service providers at 13 and have their personal information sold on to third parties. An [...]
Children as young as five are experiencing suicidal thoughts according to the latest data released by Kids Helpline. The Leader can reveal the national counselling service figures show that almost 10 per cent of the 400 children aged between 5 and 12 called the helpline to talk about suicide. The data also revealed out of 395 people [...]
