Mental Health

What is self-objectification?

Sexualisation is not a problem about sex and sexuality, it is about turning people into objects - which does real harm to girls in obvious ways. Self-objectification is a key process of sexualisation whereby girls learn to think of and treat their own bodies as objects of others’ desires. In self-objectification, girls internalise an observer’s [...]

Symptoms of depression

Many of the symptoms of depression involve a deviation from normal behaviour, so it is important that you become the world expert on your child to watch for changes that may indicate the onset of depression. Symptoms of depression include: • frequent tiredness, • pervasive boredom (especially in younger children), • low mood, • sudden [...]

National child mental health initiative a huge success

Kidsmatter, a national initiative aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of children in Australian primary schools, has been praised by an independent evaluation released on Tuesday. Kidsmatter is a joint project formed by a number of groups and institutions including the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the Australian Government and national depression initiative Beyondblue [...]

Fish oil may prevent schizophrenia

Researchers in Austria have found a daily dose of fish oil may greatly reduce the risk of schizophrenia in young people, with studies suggesting people who take fish oil on a regular basis may decrease the likelihood of developing psychosis by as much as seven times. In the study, 81 participants were either given a [...]

The Trinity Parent's Alcohol and Drug Resource Book

The Trinity Grammar College in Kew, Victoria, has published a handbook to give information to parents about drugs and alcohol. The book, called the "Trinity Parent's Alcohol and Drug Resource Book," was put together by parents with the support of experts including Dr Michael Carr-Gregg with the intention of raising awareness of drug and alcohol [...]

15% of five-year-olds have abnormally high depression

A Canadian study has found that 15% of five-year-olds suffer from abnormally high levels of depression and anxiety. The study, which ran for 5 years and tested over 1,700 children, also found that children with a difficult temperament at the age of five months were more likely to go on to develop abnormally high levels [...]

Government refuses to protect children from sexualised music videos

The Australian government has ignored a senate proposal for stricter advertising and classification laws for sexualised music videos and ads aimed at children. The proposal came from a senate committee investigating the sexualisation of children in the media, who concluded that "the inappropriate sexualisation of children in Australia is of increasing concern." On Friday the [...]

The sexualisation of our children: the problems and solutions

Psychologist and author Steve Biddulph has slammed the early sexualisation of children, blaming the early exposure of children to sexualised material for the decline in the age of children becoming sexually active. He explains, "the maturity of children has grown in superficial ways - looking, acting and speaking like adults. But the deeper signs are [...]

Texting teaches kids to make more mistakes

An Australian study has found children who frequently use mobile phones to send text messages are being taught to act impulsively and make mistakes as a result. The study of 317 Melbourne students aged between 11 and 14 found those who regularly send text messages were faster to respond to IQ style questions but were [...]

Video game addiction

For most people, playing video games is a harmless hobby. For some people however, video games can become an obsession, leading to a number of addictive tendencies including the preference to play games rather then engaging in regular activities. Unfortunately there is a lack of reliable studies examining video game addiction and so little is [...]

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