Lack of investment in mental health care: A strain on lives and the economy
Australia’s mental health system is in a neglected and dire state. Inadequate leadership and funding by successive governments is leading to the unnecessary deaths of thousands of Australians. The suicide rate is at a near 10 year high. Not only is there a moral and social responsibility to address this issue, but there is also a strong […]
The effort effect
Your child races over to you with a huge smile on their face bursting to tell you about their recent success. Filled with feelings of delight and relief, you naturally find yourself showering your child with praise – “well done”, “you’re so smart”, “you’re a clever girl”, “you aced it”, “wow first place”, and so […]
Surviving the HSC
The High School Certificate exams commence in a little over two months. Here are 15 survival tips. Get enough sleep – at least 9 hours. To promote sleep, turn lights out 30 minutes prior, stick to a sleep routine Monday through Thursday, and don’t use technology in your room – especially your bed. It’s important […]
New coaching program improves student grades
Students progressing towards their HSC or making the transition to university are often provided with study skills coaching programs in the hope of increasing their grades. However, these programs have tended to only produce modest results. In addition to acquiring more effective study skills, students also need to learn how to motivate themselves and cope […]
Raising self-esteem: More harm than good?
Psychology has had a long love affair with the idea of self-esteem – the concept that our self-worth is bound up in perceiving ourselves as being good at things that matter to us. Research shows that low self-esteem is linked with a wide range of poor life outcomes. Intuitively it makes sense to try to […]
Editorial: Could misdiagnosis partly explain the rapid rise in ADHD?
More and more children are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Between 2001 to 2011, prescriptions for the treatment of ADHD increased by 72.9%. ADHD is a heritable brain disorder characterised by either inattention, hyperactivity or both. The most comprehensive review to date, estimates that around 5% of children and adolescents have ADHD. This rapid increase in […]
Coping with COVID-19
Suddenly Australians are facing a crisis unlike any other we’ve experienced. Parts of Australia are seeing rapid growth of people diagnosed with COVID-19, albeit off low base numbers. It’s normal to be feeling increasingly worried about what this means for your health, the health of your loved ones, your employment and your future. You may […]
Making new year’s resolutions count
New year’s resolutions can be so seductive. I’m always lured into them. They offer an inspiring and hopeful start to the year. Get fit. Tick. Spend more time with the kids. Tick. Read more books. Yep, check that off too. Yet they’re often all too easily forgotten, abandoned and for some of us just plain […]