A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Does physical activity reduce depression, or does depression reduce physical activity? It's a quintessential chicken and egg scenario — and a question that's plagued scientists for some time. Now, thanks to the power of modern genomics, a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry provides the "strongest evidence" yet that exercise has a protective effect against [...]
Most young people in the youth justice system have been found to come from “troubled” backgrounds. However, many people with similar backgrounds don’t ever end up in youth justice services. Knowing why people with troubled childhoods may be more likely to engage in criminal activity is necessary to inform the development of effective prevention and [...]
At the beginning of this year, I was using my iPhone to browse new titles on Amazon when I saw the cover of “How to Break Up With Your Phone” by Catherine Price. I downloaded it on Kindle because I genuinely wanted to reduce my smartphone use, but also because I thought it would be [...]
This is a longer read at just under 2,000 words. Enjoy! The beginning of the 2019 school year will be a time of planning and crystal-gazing. Teachers will plan their instructional agenda in a general way. Students will think about another year at school. Parents will reflect on how their children might progress this year. [...]
A 10-year-old boy named James has an outburst in school. Upset by something a classmate says to him, he pushes the other boy, and a shoving-match ensues. When the teacher steps in to break it up, James goes ballistic, throwing papers and books around the classroom and bolting out of the room and down the [...]
Forensic interviews are intended to gather evidence from minors who may have information about a crime under investigation. But many children who have been traumatized—often by those in a position of (supposed) care and authority—are unable to express, or explain, what has happened to them. Even highly trained professionals are at times ill-equipped to decode [...]
Could you imagine sending a sexually explicit photo of yourself to a stranger? Maybe your children can. Research published this year suggests one in seven teenagers have sent explicit texts and one in four have received them. It prompted the Australian Medical Association to overhaul its youth outreach program, Dr YES (Youth Education Session), to [...]
Although the first day back at school, or even the first ever day at school, can be an exciting prospect for some children, adjustment difficulties are common. Anxious feelings are expected and normal in children returning to school, changing schools, or for first timers starting kindergarten. According to a recent study conducted by the University [...]
Communities and families are mourning the loss of five young Aboriginal girls who took their own lives in separate incidents in Western Australia, Townsville and Adelaide this year. In early January, a 15-year old girl from Western Australia died two-days after self-harming on a visit to Townsville. Last Sunday, a 12-year old girl died in [...]
This is a longer read at just over 1,300 words. Enjoy! A new school year can be daunting for any parent, prompting many questions: will my child settle in, make friends and progress academically? If your child has a disability these worries can seem too big to overcome. In Australia, teachers often feel unprepared to [...]
