A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
A study has shown that encouraging children to take risks, be competitive and engage in rough and tumble play can help prevent childhood anxiety disorders. But, unfortunately, this type of play is more commonly experienced by young boys than girls. The study, which was undertaken by the Macquarie University's Centre for Emotional Health, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Reading, took [...]
Roughly one in five students drop out of university in Australia in their first year. Students with prior emotional difficulties, who are doing their degrees part-time, mature age at entry, or from a lower socioeconomic status background are most likely to be in this category. Not all of these factors can be changed. But there are ways parents and [...]
Young Australians seeking help for depression and anxiety will get further assistance with an injection of more than $100 million into school mental health programs and a range of new Headspace centres. Key points: Major funding boost for kids mental health $75 million for new Headspace centres and student mental health programs More funds for [...]
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and two other anxiety disorders - separation anxiety and social anxiety - are among the most commonly experienced psychiatric problems in youngsters. Similar to adult estimates, girls are about twice as likely as boys to have GAD. GAD symptoms are distressing and can be impairing not just for the child or teen; the family [...]
In the midst of my worst moments of anxiety and panic, I would focus incessantly on the physical sensation and fear that it was something serious and harmful. But, as I learned over time from several experts, my attention was directed on the wrong thing. What if I could shift my focus to something else – [...]
Debunking the myths and sharing the important truths about this incredibly common mental health issue. Firstly, here's what anxiety is not: it's not worrying that your train has been cancelled or that your card won't be accepted in a restaurant. It's not being scared before a medical test. Anxiety is an inappropriate response to a real or perceived [...]
As much as teachers do all that they can to make their classrooms a place of comfort and security, for some students the school environment can be a stressful one. For a whole gamut of reasons, at some stage during their time spent at school, most kids experience some kind of school-related anxiety. Whether it [...]
Online learning environments have been a game changer for Australian distance educators whose ‘classrooms’ cover thousands of square kilometres, but it’s more than just a case of being able to reach isolated areas. The technology is also allowing teachers to provide one-to-one support and immediate feedback to students who are struggling with issues such as [...]
In past decades, teenagers struggling to deal with their emotions might have coped by taking a razor blade to their forearm or extinguishing cigarettes on their skin. Today’s teens, products of the internet era, have found an additional outlet. Approximately 6% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old engage in a practice known as [...]
Working out what’s going on in the minds of younger Australians can be both confusing and frustrating. Are they happy, worried, feeling like they don’t belong, or all of the above? A new survey of 47,000 children across Australia, aged between 6 and 18, may give us a better sense of what makes them tick. [...]
