A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Associate Professor Victoria Palmer Thinking back to life before lockdown, it can be tempting to do so through rose-tinted glasses. Some things, like travel, may have indeed been easier, but many major issues like affordable housing, secure employment, loneliness, violence and access to mental health care were in need of urgent attention before pandemic – [...]
Christine Grové, Monash University The COVID pandemic has shone a light on the ongoing decline in young people’s mental health. Psychologists have warned if we don’t start to address the mental health emergency of young people’s anxiety and depression, it may become a “trans-generational disaster”. Paediatricians have said they are seeing growing numbers of young [...]
Louis-Philippe Beland, Carleton University The effects of mobiles phones and other technology at school is a hotly debated topic in many countries. Some advocate for a complete ban to limit distractions, while others suggest using technology as a teaching tool. Kids in public South Australian primary schools started the school year without being allowed to [...]
Karyn Healy, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Around 15% of Australian school students experience bullying in a school year. Being bullied increases the risk for ongoing depression and anxiety. All Australian states have policies to address school bullying. And many schools also run educational programs aimed at preventing bullying. Efforts to reduce bullying are commendable. [...]
Anna Hogan, Queensland University of Technology We have estimated around $8 billion of non-government or private funding flows through Australia’s school system each year — both public and private. The vast majority of this comes from school fees. The rest is from “other private sources”, including donations and community fund-raising. Unsurprisingly, the independent school sector [...]
Kathryn MacCallum, University of Canterbury We know COVID-19 and its associated changes to our work and learning habits caused a marked increase in the use of technology. More surprising, perhaps, is the impact these lockdowns have had on children’s and young people’s self-reported enjoyment of books and the overall positive impact this has made on [...]
When anxiety effects kids, some become ‘chatty & scatty’ while others become ‘broody & moody.’ Generally the ‘chatty & scatty’ kids become distractible & lose concentration, the ‘broody & moody’ kids become sullen, avoidant & lose motivation. They can become hypervigilant & see threats where they are none. I have written extensively about the treatment [...]
In this episode: Are concrete jungles hurting our children? Some science around the great outdoors and brain development Practical tips for putting together “greenspace prescriptions” Host: Andrew Fuller, Clinical psychologist and family therapist, speaker and creator of Learning Strengths Guest: Dr Rachael Sharman, Senior Lecturer; Psychology, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences Total time: [...]
Dr Dana McKay On International Women’s Day, like many people, I will read books about female heroes like Ada Lovelace to my daughter. But I will also read about them to my son. The Little People, Big Dreams books began life focusing on inspiring women including Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo and Coco Chanel, to name [...]
Yaqoot Fatima, James Cook University Adequate sleep is key to good health, well-being and proper functioning across all life stages but is especially critical for children. Poor sleep can inhibit rapid growth and development in early childhood. And it’s not just about sleep duration; the time one goes to bed also plays an important role [...]
