A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
New neuroimaging research has found that depression is associated with abnormal function in an area of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, investigated how the medial prefrontal cortex interacted with other areas of the brain in depression. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging [...]
Every evening around the world, parents put their children to bed, hoping they’ll go to sleep easily. For most parents that’s exactly what happens. But for some kids, sleep does not come easily and evenings are a battle. Children with ADHD are much more likely than other kids to struggle getting to sleep, and staying [...]
Depression is usually considered an issue parents have to watch out for starting in the turbulent teenage years. The CW channel, full of characters with existential angst about school, friends and young love, tells us so, as do the countless parenting books about the adolescent years in every guidance counselor's office. But what if by that time it's already too late? A [...]
Psychologists have found that fantasizing about the future can lead to increases in depression — and a new study provides some more clues as to why that is. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Consciousness and Cognition in May, examined the role that rumination plays. “Much research on depression focuses on understanding and changing [...]
Teenagers’ late-night mobile phone use is harming their sleep and potentially their mental health, say researchers who advised that “physical boundaries” be set over use of such devices in the bedroom. A longitudinal study of 1,101 Australian high school students aged between 13 and 16 found poor-quality sleep associated with late-night texting or calling was [...]
The idea that what we eat and drink has direct impact on our mood is not a new one. Who can deny the salvation in a cup of tea after a rough day? But the theory behind this intuition is now a central field of research, and there's growing evidence for the idea that our [...]
Homo sapiens is a very moody species. Even though sadness and bad moods have always been part of the human experience, we now live in an age that ignores or devalues these feelings. In our culture, normal human emotions like temporary sadness are often treated as disorders. Manipulative advertising, marketing and self-help industries claim happiness [...]
Good sleep is essential for our mental well-being. Just one night of disturbed sleep can leave us feeling cranky, flat, worried, or sad the next day. So it’s no surprise sleeping problems, like difficulty falling asleep, not getting enough sleep, or regularly disrupted sleep patterns, are associated with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression, which [...]
Over the centuries, various forms of interpersonal touch have become less common, influenced by changes in cultural values and new technology. Nowadays, with twenty four hour access to mobiles, texting and email, many people spend more time interacting with their technology than they do with each other. This lack of touch has many effects on [...]
Mental health is an area that is finally getting some attention as a real and serious health issue, though we still have so far to go. Part of removing the stigma around mental health is understanding the various types of disorders people can be diagnosed with. There are many disorders, both under the anxiety and [...]
