Mental health

It’s long been known that certain chemicals found in everyday products can be harmful to humans so new research confirming the link between pesticides and ill-health will not come as a shock to many. However, the alarming factor here is that the ill effects can be caused by exposure as early as foetal development, prompting […]

It’s well known that taking omega-3 fish oil supplements can help to prevent mild to moderate depression and boost memory and cognition. Now it seems fish oil may play an even more dramatic effect in mental health, with a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggesting that it could help prevent psychotic disorders. In […]

For decades, self-help gurus have preached the virtues of positive affirmations. That is, they’ve recommended repeating optimistic statements as a means of helping people “rewire” themselves and stop negative self-talk. For example, substituting “I am so stupid” with “I am trying my best and learning more all the time”. However, the results of a joint […]

The myth is that marriage can make you mad, but psychologists have found that is really is good for your health. Clinical psychologist Dr Kate Scott from New Zealand’s University of Otago conducted the study of more than 35,000 people across 15 different countries based on a decade of surveys by the World Health Organization. […]

Around 25 per cent of Australian adults will, at some time in their lives, suffer from a diagnosable mental health problem, most prominently depression or anxiety, including phobias. And as many of these people will be parents, unfortunately some of these behaviours are bound to be passed-onto their children. “Maybe someone can’t go into lifts; […]

As convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby enters her sixth year in a Bali jail, her biographer, Kathryn Bonella, charts her slide into depression, despair and mental illness. Schapelle Corby may inhabit a filthy, rat-infested concrete cell in the hellhole that is Bali’s Kerobokan Prison, but she lives in a world of fantasy. She hears voices […]

Being physically active has long been known to be a management strategy for those suffering from depression. Celebrities like Raelene Boyle and Gary McDonald have been championing physical activity as an essential component of diminishing their “black dog” for a few years now. Scientists have been trying to find out the basis for this insidious […]

The drug millions of Aussies are taking – what it does for weight, sex and you! More than 12 million anti-depressant scripts a year are prescribed in Australia – and rising. But are we taking mood-enhancing meds too far? Next time you’re at an office lunch, chances are at least one or more of the […]

Are you sometimes stumped by the simplest question? It has nothing to do with being stupid, and everything to do with learning how to think more efficiently. Here’s how: Hit ‘pause’ Avoid wasting time by asking people to repeat themselves (or misunderstanding what you were asked to do) by taking a ‘verbal photograph’ of the […]

When times are tough, don’t despair. It is possible to change the way you see things, and expert help is always at hand… Looking back over recent headlines you could be forgiven for thinking the world is about to come crashing to an end. The only uncertainty seems to be what we will ruin first […]