A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are associated with significant physical complications. Eating disorders not only involve considerable psychological impairment and distress, but they are also associated with major wide-ranging and serious medical complications, which can affect every major organ in the body. Eating disorders occur in both men and women, young and old, [...]
If your back is aching, you are not alone. Back pain causes more ill health than any other condition, including heart disease and malaria, a major international study has found. An analysis of the health of 188 countries found lower back aches cause more years lived in pain than anything else. - Fiona Macrae, Science Editor [...]
Photos of emaciated women proudly displaying their protruding hips and ribs, as well as thinspirational quotes "fat-shaming" those who dare to eat, continue to thrive on social media, despite the best attempts by sites like Instagram to temper the reach of the pro-eating disorder community. Some girls gain thousands of followers posting pictures of "thigh gaps" [...]
The risk of dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65 in Australia. And whereas before little was known about this debilitating disease, we now have "some good ideas as to what may be the contributing mechanisms", says Professor Perminder Sachdev, co-director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW. While there's no [...]
Despite heavily-marketed claims to the contrary, positive psychology interventions do not consistently improve mental or physical health and well-being. The myth that these interventions are efficacious is perpetuated by a mutually-admiring, self-promotional collective that protects its claims from independent peer review and scrutiny. As with the positive psychology intervention literature, it is a quick leap [...]
To be emotionally healthy is to be in control of one’s emotions and behaviour. This helps to handle the challenges in life and to build strong relationships. Maintaining your emotional health requires the same, if not more, effort to maintain your physical health. Being emotionally healthy doesn’t mean never experiencing bad times or going through [...]
Most Australians say stress is affecting their mental health and there is a widening wellbeing gap between the sexes, a new mental health report says. The Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) survey of stress and wellbeing also found 2014 was a tough year for women, with many reporting significantly higher levels of stress in their day-to-day [...]
Anyone who has ever experienced depression truly understands its devastating effects. For some people, depression is a debilitating illness. It robs a person of their energy, concentration and pleasure. People who are in a state of depression cannot find enjoyment in whatever they do. In some severe cases, people are known to lose their will [...]
Studies have shown that there is a correlation between mental toughness and self-control. To achieve those long-term goals there are things mentally tough people avoid. In all of these different contexts, one characteristic emerged as a predictor for success. It wasn't social intelligence, good looks, IQ, or physical health. It was "grit," which the dictionary [...]
New research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) shows children are expressing dissatisfaction with their body size as early as 8-9 years old and the majority of 10-11 years old are trying to control their weight. Executive Manager of AIFS' Longitudinal Study for Australian Children, Dr Ben Edwards said the research also showed [...]
