Category Archives: Mental health

Limits on paracetamol purchases could reduce injury and death from overdoses, expert panel says

Posted on by

TGA report recommends reduced packet sizes and restricting over-the-counter sales of the drug to people 18 and over

The size of paracetamol packets sold in supermarkets could be reduced and limits introduced on the number of boxes that can be bought, in a bid to reduce injury and death from intentional overdoses.

The recommendations are contained in an independent expert report published by Australia’s drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The report found rates of intentional paracetamol overdose were highest among adolescents and young adults, and more common among women and girls.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Continue reading...

Sam Fender cancels shows to look after his mental health

Posted on by

Singer-songwriter apologises to fans in announcement on Instagram after becoming ‘burnt out’ from touring

Sam Fender has cancelled a number of forthcoming shows and announced he is “taking some time off the road” to look after his mental health, after admitting that he was “burnt out” from touring.

The 28-year-old singer-songwriter from Newcastle posted the announcement on Instagram, saying it would be “completely hypocritical” of him to advocate for discussion of the topic without looking after his own mental wellbeing.

Continue reading...

How an alligator became an emotional support animal: ‘They said it was a midlife crisis’

Posted on by

Joseph Henney’s main companion is not an ordinary alligator. ‘He tries to comfort people and is famous for his hugs’

Joseph Henney, 69, grew up on a farm in the same area of Dover, Pennsylvania he lives in now. From a young age, Henney was surrounded by a wide range of animals, such as cattle, coyotes, snakes and hogs, which makes owning a pet alligator perhaps the least surprising thing about him.

But Henney’s gator companion Wally is not an ordinary pet – he’s an official emotional support animal and one that is now somewhat famous after video of Henney and Wally walking together in Philadelphia’s Love Park went viral and triggered a slew of news headlines.

Continue reading...

Nearly 2,000 Australian children have lost parents to Covid

Posted on by

For every 100 Covid-related death in Australia, around 13 young people lost one or both of their parents, ANU study finds

Nearly 2,000 Australian children have lost a parent to Covid-19 during the pandemic, according to new data.

A global study by the Australian National University (ANU), based on 2021 data, has estimated that for every 100 Covid-related death in Australia, around 13 young people lost one or both of their parents.

Continue reading...

Playing music in childhood linked to a sharper mind in old age, study suggests

Posted on by

Researchers find link between learning instrument while young and improved thinking skills later in life

The ageing rocker clinging on to their youth may be a figure of mockery, but research suggests they should be envied for their sharpness of mind.

Researchers have found a link between learning a musical instrument in youth and improved thinking skills in old age. People with more experience of playing a musical instrument showed greater lifetime improvement on a test of cognitive ability than those with less or no experience, a paper from the University of Edinburgh has said.

Continue reading...

Bulk-billing psychologists earn as little as $12 an hour, Australian peak body says

Posted on by

One psychologist was forced to close a thriving practice; another waives her fees for ‘desperate’ patients who can’t get a referral because of GP wait times

Psychologists who predominantly bulk bill are making as little as $12 an hour, which is why it “just isn’t an option for the majority of them”, the executive director of the Australian Association of Psychologists, Tegan Carrison, has said.

Almost half of all Australian adults will face mental ill-health at some point in their lives, but for the most vulnerable of them, accessing affordable mental healthcare has become more difficult as general practitioners and psychologists move away from bulk billing.

Continue reading...

Poor mental health could result in $7.4bn in lost productivity in NSW, report finds

Posted on by

Exclusive: Research shows increase in depression and anxiety could result in hit on economy by 2025

Lost productivity due to poor mental health will see almost $7.5bn ripped from the New South Wales economy by 2025 if more is not done to support workers and businesses, according to a new report.

The Impact Economics and Policy report – commissioned by the NSW Council of Social Service (Ncoss) – looked at the compounding impacts of repeated natural disasters and the pandemic on the mental health of the population.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

GPs to prescribe walking and cycling in bid to ease burden on NHS

Posted on by

Suggestion of activities to help improve mental and physical health part of wider movement of ‘social prescribing’

GPs around England are to prescribe patients activities such as walking or cycling in a bid to ease the burden on the NHS by improving mental and physical health.

The £12.7m trial, which was announced by the Department for Transport and will begin this year, is part of a wider movement of “social prescribing”, an approach already used in the NHS, in which patients are referred for non-medical activities.

Continue reading...

‘Generation sensible’ risk missing out on life experiences, therapists warn

Posted on by

Reports of rise in social anxiety among overly cautious 11- to 25-year-olds who often interact online

They have been deemed “generation sensible” for their focus on social issues, healthy living and drinking less alcohol. But therapists say generation Z could miss out on a wealth of life experience due to their overly cautious attitude to taking risks.

Many young people increasingly choose to stay within a comfort zone of a small network of like-minded friends in which much of their social activity is virtual, according to mental health experts.

Continue reading...

Jonah Hill says he will no longer promote his own films to protect his mental health

Posted on by

Actor and director pens open letter revealing his nearly 20-year struggle with anxiety attacks, ‘which are exacerbated by media appearances and public facing events’

Jonah Hill has announced he will no longer take part in promoting his films due to his mental health issues being exacerbated by media appearances and public-facing events.

The 38-year-old actor revealed his plan in an open letter published by Deadline ahead of the debut of his new documentary, Stutz, which he directed. The film is about Hill’s relationship with his therapist Phil Stutz, who Hill began seeing in 2017 at the recommendation of fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix. In the film Hill and his therapist discuss his mental health.

In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, Mental Health America is available on 800-273-8255

Continue reading...

Ezra Miller breaks silence to apologise ‘to everyone that I have alarmed’

Posted on by

In their first statement since legal issues began, non-binary actor says they have begun treatment for ‘complex mental health issues’

Actor Ezra Miller has broken their silence amid a growing list of legal issues and allegations of erratic behaviour, saying they are seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues”.

In a statement provided by a representative of the actor to Variety on Tuesday, the 29-year-old non-binary actor apologised for any alarm they may have caused.

Continue reading...

Teacher sick days soar as poor conditions take toll on mental health

Posted on by

Increased workloads, class sizes, low pay and Covid legacy are leading to more absences and an exodus of staff

Teachers have spent at least 1.5 million days off work owing to stress and mental health issues, new figures have revealed, amid continued concerns over the increasing pressures they are facing in the classroom.

With long-running concerns about workloads and growing class sizes, new data seen by the Observer suggests that the number of days lost to mental health issues in some council-controlled schools in England and Wales has increased by 7% from the previous year. It is also up by almost a fifth compared to three years ago.

Continue reading...

£1bn needed to speed up mental health care for UK children, report says

Posted on by

Call for ‘once in a generation’ package for NHS so young people can receive treatment within four weeks

Children needing mental health services should be guaranteed treatment within four weeks, with next-day referrals for those at risk of self-harm and suicide, according to an inquiry into the explosion in demand from young people for psychiatric help.

The inquiry by the Commission on Young Lives, chaired by the former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield, said a “once in a generation” £1bn recovery package was needed to boost an overstretched NHS system too often forced to turn away unwell youngsters.

Continue reading...

Sisters of Gaia Pope: ‘We felt helpless. She felt she wasn’t listened to’

Posted on by

Maya and Clara Pope-Sutherland blame Gaia’s disappearance and death on serial failings by police and mental health services

The wonderful memories of Gaia Pope come easily and vividly to her twin, Maya Pope-Sutherland, and older sister Clara Pope-Sutherland.

“We never spent a moment apart when we were younger, we were so close, we had a real bond,” Maya, 24, told the Guardian. “There was a spirituality about Gaia. Her name means ‘Mother Earth’ and she felt a connection with the trees, the sky, animals. She was altruistic and caring, a great listener.”

Continue reading...

Hongkongers who fled to UK criticise lack of mental health support

Posted on by

Advocacy groups and BNO passport holders say not enough is being done to help them after arriving in Britain

The UK is not doing enough to provide mental health support to thousands of Hongkongers who have fled China’s increasingly authoritarian grip, according to advocacy groups and those politically displaced.

Following China’s introduction of a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong and swift clampdown on dissent, tens of thousands of residents with British national (overseas) (BNO) passports and their dependants were granted the right to live and work in the UK in 2021.

Continue reading...

Vulnerable Australians ‘filled with dread’ over telehealth cuts

Posted on by

Decision to end a range of services on 30 June will lead to ‘avoidable suffering and distress’, medical practitioners say

Living through Covid-19 with inflammatory arthritis, telehealth has been the only way for Eliza Sorensen to safely access her routine medical appointments.

Sorensen is considered severely immunocompromised due to the medication she takes to control her chronic disease. She also lives with asthma.

Continue reading...

Warnings of mental health crisis among ‘Covid generation’ of students

Posted on by

Pandemic has had lasting impact on students’ wellbeing and problem is getting worse, say UK experts

The pandemic has had a lasting legacy on the mental health of the “Covid generation” of students, exacerbating rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm and resulting in a “significant rise” in young people struggling at university, experts have said.

UK universities have reported that more students are experiencing mental health problems in the aftermath of the pandemic, and that this is expected to continue with the cohort arriving in September, whose school experience was heavily disrupted by the pandemic.

Continue reading...

Sajid Javid tells of heartache over brother’s suicide

Posted on by

Health secretary urges men to discuss mental health and to ‘seek help’ when they need to

Sajid Javid has urged men to speak out about their mental health as he spoke publicly for the first time about the loss of his brother, who took his own life.

The health secretary said he still wonders if he could have acted to prevent his brother’s death, and spoke of his “deeply personal” mission to prevent suicides. Javid’s brother, Tariq, 51, took his own life in a hotel in Horsham, West Sussex, in July 2018.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

Continue reading...

Australian research finds effects of loneliness during Covid lockdowns ‘substantial and uneven’

Posted on by

People on low incomes, who had disabilities or who were carers were less likely to recover quickly post-lockdown, study shows

“Everyone became withdrawn, even after restrictions ended,” one man said of his experience following Australia’s pandemic lockdowns.

“No one wants to hang out any more … [it] feels like life and society have permanently changed.”

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

One in two young Australians experienced stressors during pandemic, data shows

Posted on by

People aged 18 to 24 had to deal with mental ill health or job woes far more than older people, Australian Bureau of Statistics finds

Young people have experienced more stressors than older Australians throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new data.

On Friday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released new figures from its National Health Survey, on stressors, diet and breastfeeding. The survey collected information from 11,000 households around the country between August 2020 and June 2021.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...