Mental Health

Can You Really Be Happier In 30 Days?

How do you describe happiness? Is it being bubbly all the time or having a constant smile on your face? When researchers look at happiness they look at two different things: a person’s emotional state – do they feel like they are experiencing more positive emotions than negative emotions? – and how they look at [...]

Does More Mental Health Treatment And Less Stigma Produce Better Mental Health?

Mental health problems continue to carry a heavy stigma. People who experience them are often feared, excluded, shamed and discriminated against. Overcoming that stigma is a high priority, not least because it’s a barrier to engaging people in treatments that might help them. People suffering from mental health problems are not the only ones to [...]

Young Women Are Now A ‘High-risk Group’ For Mental Illness

Psychological distress in women aged 16-24 is at an all-time high, with record numbers admitting to harming themselves to relieve their distress, according to an alarming study. Experts say young women are now a “high-risk group” and point to links between mental illness and violence or sexual abuse, and possible pressures from the rise of [...]

Mediterranean Diet Can Help In Fight Against Depression

The Mediterranean diet is well known for its physical health benefits and it is now being hailed as the latest weapon in tackling mental health problems. Researchers at Deakin University have found the diet can help those suffering from severe depression. Professor Felice Jacka, director of Deakin University's Food and Mood Centre, said the Mediterranean [...]

Which Personality Traits Are Most Predictive Of Wellbeing?

We all want more well-being in our lives. But which traits are most likely to be associated with well-being? This is an important question because it can help inform our decision to cultivate some aspects of our being over others, and can even inform culture-wide interventions to increase societal levels of well-being. The 5 Personal [...]

Growing Up Young

Has adolescence ever been harder for girls, as they enter a world where appearance rivals achievement, and judgement is only a social media comment away? Meet some young women who are navigating this tricky moment in their lives. According to Holly, 15: If I leave the house without make-up, I don't feel as much myself. [...]

This is What A Few Hours of Gaming Does to Boys’ Mental Health

Boys who regularly play video games are more than twice as likely to have emotional and behavioural problems in childhood, but girls aren't similarly affected. This is one of the findings from the first large population-based study to show clear links between mental health and the amount of time spent using TV, video games and [...]

Listening Is Not Enough to Mitigate the Malady of Modernity

Any simple time-and-motion study in our homes, workplaces, shopping malls or transport hubs will show that the more time we spend with devices in the digital realm, the less time there is to spend with people in the human realm. At the same time, it's probable that constant online violence dulls us to real pain. [...]

The Power of Talking Sideways to Children

Good family communication is the key to successful parenting at all stages, but it’s not always easy. We all know the advice about getting down to a toddler’s tantrumming level, offering a stroppy six-year-old a non-judgmental ear and giving a tired teenager peace to think and a cup of tea after a tough exam, but [...]

Australia Has A Serious Gambling Problem

Australia tops its fair share of lists, including hosting the deadliest animals on earth and, perhaps paradoxically, some of the world’s most livable cities. But the country also tops the charts on an indicator that is far more insidious: gambling losses. Last year, Australians lost $17.5 billion, or about $949 per adult. These per capita [...]

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