The Generation Next podcast makes the knowledge of our expert speakers on youth mental health and wellbeing available anytime and on the go! Hear excerpts from speaker lectures, interviews, Q&A from our Student Program audience and much more to come…
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Scientists and mental health professionals are increasingly recognising that gaming addiction exists – but how many children does it affect? Douglas Gentile goes beyond the hype to examine the hard facts and figures of gaming.
Educators are uniquely placed to prevent and respond early to child sexual abuse. Prof Freda Briggs AO, former dean of the Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies at the University of South Australia and lifelong children’s rights advocate, explains why.
How early can Asperger’s Syndrome be diagnosed, what are some of the mental health challenges ‘Aspies’ face growing up and what to make of their strong interest in gaming? In this brief interview, Professor Tony Attwood sums up the challenges of diagnosis, achieving positive mental health and how to manage compulsive gaming.
Knowing that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness among children and young people, what can we do to better support those with the condition? Should children be taught about anxiety? Find out strategies that can help children cope with anxiety, what parents can do and where to find further resources and support.
What are some of the messages that our boys are internalising about how they should behave and their roles in society? Dr Justin Coulson encourages us to reconsider how we interact with boys, model the respect we want to see, and give them the opportunity to show kindness and empathy to others.
What is normal eating in teens? When does a focus on ‘healthy eating’ become an obsession and lead to disordered eating? Get a better understanding of the spectrum of normal eating through to eating disorders, and where dieting actually fits.
Does excessive gaming lead to mental illness, or could mental illness be a driver of problematic overuse? Douglas Gentile discusses how one impacts on the other – based on the latest research.
When a young person dies by suicide, the impact can be devastating to those who knew them. Beyond suicide prevention, this video explores the value of suicide postvention, in particular how to provide support in the aftermath of suicide, how to discuss the issue in a school setting, and most importantly, how to avoid a contagion effect and prevent it from happening again.
Some people game a lot for enjoyment, but when does it become excessive and problematic? Find out the 9 warning signs that suggest your gaming may no longer be a pleasurable past time – but something more serious.
If we want to raise healthy adults then we need to focus on raising emotionally healthy children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and emerge the earliest. This presentation explores the development of anxiety, treatment options and how to best support young people.
Why are some young people drawn to playing games excessively and when should parents be concerned? Psychotherapist James Driver challenges us to go beyond the question of ‘how much is too much’ to consider the reasons why young people might be drawn to excessive gaming, some of the risk factors that might predict such addictive behaviour, and to use this knowledge to better recognise emerging warning signs of problematic overuse.
Resilience is the new buzz word and schools are rushing to adopt programs and methods that build resilience, but how are we faring? Andrew Fuller discusses effective strategies to build resilience in schools, where we can do better and the key challenge facing young people and schools today.
What are some of the myths and misperceptions around eating disorders? What is disordered eating and is it a concern? Find out the impact of body image concerns on healthy eating and wellbeing, and strategies to help prevent the onset of eating disorders in young people.
Matt X answers some of the questions posed by our audience after his presentation ‘Choosing Not to Hate’.
What are the crises affecting today’s young people and why do we need to actively reach out to help them through these tough times? Debra describes a number of effective, innovative ways to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing that we should all know about.
Electronic media can have a very positive influence but it can also be misused with unhealthy results on mind and body. Glenn will provide established strategies to shift children’s media usage in a positive direction.
Have you ever had a rock in your shoe? Remember how it absorbed your focus and distracted you from everything happening around you? Depression can be like that. This highly interactive, engaging presentation examines how four easy-to-apply empirically validated positive psychology strategies can reduce depression in teens and help them (and the adults who care about them) lead fulfilling, happy lives.
One in four children in Australia are exposed to domestic violence, with behavioural, cognitive and emotional development implications. Rosie will discuss ways to recognise behavioural symptoms of such exposure and how to support young people experiencing the effects of domestic violence.
Our culture of heightened consumerism comes at a cost to our wellbeing and connection with each other. Science has shown that particularly with the young there is a causal link between low self-esteem and materialism. In early adolescence the stage is set for the use of material possessions as a coping strategy for feelings of low self-worth and marketers know it. What can we do to help kids get the best of our consumer society and avoid the real costs of having too much?
What is sexting and why do children and teens engage in it? Greg Gebhart, Senior Education Trainer at the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, explores the motivations behind sexting, prevalence rates as well as possible emotional and legal implications for youth under the age of 18.
From time to time, life throws all of us a curve ball, and we need to call upon our strengths to respond. Resilience is the capacity that helps us draw on these strengths and bounce back. With resilience a key factor in social, emotional and wellbeing, how can we ‘teach’ resilience to young people? Andrew Fuller discusses how we can build resilience in our youth and set them up for happy and meaningful lives.
In this empowering lecture, Professor Tony Attwood discusses the defining characteristics of ‘Aspies’ – people with Asperger’s Syndrome – and how these change from early childhood to the adult years and vary according to gender. Professor Attwood challenges you to imagine life through the eyes of an Aspie, and recognise the invaluable and unique contribution they make to society and intellectual development.
What exactly is willpower and why is it important that we develop it in children and young people? In this entertaining interview, Andrew Fuller explains why willpower matters for success and wellbeing, how to set goals and create systems that build it, and why this is especially important for young people with a mental health issue.
What are the warning signs that a young person is engaging in self-harm? Learn about the different types of self-harm, how to recognise when someone is self-harming and how you can support young people.
If we want to raise healthy adults then we need to focus on raising emotionally healthy children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and emerge the earliest. This presentation explores the development of anxiety, treatment options and how to best support young people.
If we want to raise healthy adults then we need to focus on raising emotionally healthy children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and emerge the earliest. This presentation explores the development of anxiety, treatment options and how to best support young people.
Adults are often wary of discussing mental health with teenagers. Many have internalised pervasive myths about risks associated with talking about mental health. Others just do not feel confident that they can communicate well with them when it comes to sensitive topics. This presentation form Dr Claire Kelly highlights practical and simple tools which will help you to talk effectively about mental health to the young people in your life.
To more effectively deal with this increasingly common issue it is important to understand the psychological factors that lead young people to play games excessively or addictively. James will identify some of the signs and symptoms of gaming addiction as well as the risk factors that are particularly significant with regard to young people, and hence provide ways to better prevent and manage it.
No-one disputes the dangers associated with kids engaging with social media. But it’s essential we aren’t consumed by moral panic at the expense of understanding the potential that social media affords society. Dan will outline strategies that delegates can use with young people to enhance their digital literacy, understanding of the world and perhaps even their job prospects.
Gill Hicks answers some of the questions posed by our audience after her presentation ‘What’s the Worst that Can Happen?’
Young people aged 10-15 are ‘no longer children, not yet adults’. These years are fraught with change physically, socially, academically, psychologically and emotionally. To better navigate this critical period in adolescent development, find out some principles and practical strategies to understand, motivate, challenge and engage with age group in learning and in life.
30% of teenage boys and 50% of teenage girls engage in unhealthy behaviours to control their weight. Find out some of the most common myths surrounding eating disorders among teens, how to distinguish between passing and more severe eating behaviours, and the mental illnesses that commonly appear alongside eating disorders in youth.
The number of children who commit sexual abuse against other children is growing. What do we know about these children and what are some of the causes?
Prof Barbara Krahe will cover the risk factors for aggression and violence as a result of media violence. She will explore evidence from experimental and longitudinal studies of the links between violence exposure to aggression in the long run.
Over 80% of young people know another young person who has an eating disorder. 25% of our youth is obese. Could these two seemingly different issues be, in effect, two sides of the same coin? Professor Susan Sawyer addresses the challenges around eating rooted in body dissatisfaction, how to promote a healthier approach to food and how these questions form part of wider, damaging social trends.
How well are we faring when it comes to educating students about the harms of alcohol and drugs? Paul discusses our track record, areas for improvement and the role of parental influence in school drugs education.
Adults are often wary of discussing mental health with teenagers. Many have internalised pervasive myths about risks associated with talking about mental health. Others just do not feel confident that they can communicate well with them when it comes to sensitive topics. This presentation highlights practical and simple tools which will help you to talk effectively about mental health to the young people in your life.
Positive reinforcement is important, but in our rush to praise kids and not hurt their self-esteem, are we in fact cultivating their ego and encouraging a fear of making mistakes? Dan Haesler unpacks the praise trap and how NOT to provide positive feedback to kids.
What are some of the attitudes that young people hold when it comes to relationships and violence? Are these damaging in any way, and if so, how can we start challenging them? Dr Justin Coulson discusses the obvious and more subtle impacts of living in a culture of disrespect, how this influences attitudes among youth and why we need to think again about the language we use.
If we want to raise healthy adults then we need to focus on raising emotionally healthy children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and emerge the earliest. This presentation explores the development of anxiety, treatment options and how to best support young people.
This podcast details the multiple factors that cause teens to be chronically sleep deprived which results in multiple physical and mental health problems. Teenagers place little value on sleep, and are generally poor sleep managers. Learn how to implement treatments that build resilient sleep, which in turn protects teenagers from stress induced mood disorders and optimises learning outcomes.
In this insightful and optimistic presentation, Professor Tony Attwood discusses the learning and developmental needs of children and young people with autism, how best to support them to lead fulfilling lives in a world not designed for them, and the unique contributions they can make to society – if we allow them to.
Knowing that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness among children and young people, what can we do to better support those with the condition? Should children be taught about anxiety? Find out strategies that can help children cope with anxiety, what parents can do and where to find further resources and support.
What are some of the negative messages that children are internalising? Learn about the impact that these messages have on children.
It’s concerning to see so many boys at war with themselves and the world. Why are boys coming adrift from society? Why are they suffering such a keen sense of isolation? Why all the anger and confusion? Clearly there’s a serious disconnect between where boys are at, and where we need them to be. Is this because we still don’t fully understand their needs? Because we’re not sure about what male empowerment looks like anymore? What essential life skills are this new generation of boys missing out on? How best can we turn their very real sense of alienation around?