social interaction

Scientists Hail First Successful Treatment For Children With Autism

Flickr Images Scientists say they have established the first successful treatment for autism, after training parents in how best to respond to the needs of children with the condition. The study, published in The Lancet, found “striking” and “remarkable” long-term changes after toddlers were enrolled in intensive communication programmes, which aimed to coax them [...]

Depression Makes The Hippocampus Region Of The Brain Smaller, Study Finds

An illustration of the human brain with the hippocampus in yellow. Photo: Supplied People who suffer from depression have long known of the devastation that it can cause in their personal lives. Now scientists have shown the damage that it also wreaks upon their brains. A global study of 9000 people has found [...]

By |2016-04-10T22:03:54+10:00April 10th, 2016|Categories: Science & Research|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments

Research finds health benefits from free play

Cheap items like crates and buckets encourage children to be more active and creative than expensive play equipment, researchers have found. The findings are the result of a long-term study by RMIT University researchers in Melbourne, Australia, into the play differences of primary school children with access to different playgrounds. Introducing simple, everyday objects during [...]

Workplace pets? It’s not as barking as it sounds

Far from being a distraction, office animals can help colleagues get on better, reduce stress and raise efficiency. A review of research on domestic dogs and human health, published in 2007 in the British Journal of Health Psychology, suggested that pet owners tend to be healthier. The review found evidence to suggest that dog owners [...]

Overload of screen time ‘causes depression in children’

British children who spend most time in front of televisions and computer screens have lower self-esteem and greater emotional problems, according to a study published today by Public Health England. The report found that excessive “screen time” – more than four hours a day – was linked to anxiety and depression and was responsible for [...]

High Sobriety

My tilt at sobriety came after 20 years of partying that had left me physically and emotionally spent. It was ironic, given my job. Sunday Age readers may remember an article I wrote at the time, in which I outed myself as the binge-drinking health reporter. During the week I wrote about Australia's booze-soaked culture. [...]

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