A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Parents who yell at their adolescent children for misbehaving can cause some of the same problems as hitting them would, including increased risk of depression and aggressive behavior, according to a new study. A good, warm relationship with Mom and Dad doesn't protect teens from the negative effects of parents' yelling, cursing or lobbing insults, [...]
Children with involved fathers have better social skills, more successful relationships, stronger self esteem, more self-control and higher grades than those who do not. They are also less likely to be overweight, suspended from school or bully, take drugs, engage in risky sexual behaviour or crime. As fathers take a more active role in parenting [...]
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 [...]
A mother's perceived social status predicts her child's brain development and stress indicators, finds a study at Boston Children's Hospital. While previous studies going back to the 1950s have linked objective socioeconomic factors -- such as parental income or education -- to child health, achievement and brain function, the new study is the first to [...]
EATING junk food while pregnant has been linked to serious behavioural problems in children, according to a groundbreaking Geelong study. The Deakin University study, which was undertaken at the IMPACT strategic research centre at Barwon Health, is the first of its kind that shows a clear link between diet in pregnancy, early childhood and mental [...]
I was mildly surprised and, yes, I admit, more than a little pleased to read of fast-food giant McDonald's sales going backwards here in Australia. Last month, at an investment seminar in the US, McDonald's global chief executive and president Don Thompson warned investors that “lower levels of spending in Australia and cut-throat competition among [...]
According to a newspaper report out of Canberra, schools could leave themselves open to being sued if their students are cyber-bullied inside school grounds. Amy Dwyer and Patricia Easteal, from the University of Canberra published their paper, Cyber Bullying in Australian Schools: The question of negligence and liability, and applied existing laws to cyber [...]
Dr Thornton and her team discovered that sticky nets of DNA hide the bacteria in the ears of kids with recurrent middle-ear infections, and evade antibiotic treatment by creating impenetrable slimy biofilms. The researchers are targeting these nets with a drug that has already proven its ability to help kids with cystic fibrosis by breaking [...]
If we keep parenting like this, civilization as we know it is doomed. There is a new breed of toddler on the loose; he has discriminating tastes, he makes decisions, and he weighs in on conversations that no toddler has previously been asked to participate in. Do you know this toddler? My guess is we [...]
