COVID-19 has undisputedly changed our world and the toll on our mental health has led to a modern-life pandemic-related adjustment disorder, currently referred to as COVID stress syndrome. Australia’s COVID-related fatality rates are four times lower than the global average, but the social and economic effects of the pandemic are still generating symptoms in […]
One in four Australians will experience an anxiety disorder at some stage in their lives, and experts believe that figure will only rise with the physiological impacts of 2020-2021 yet to be fully realised. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions in Australia – with one in three women (30%) and one […]
Read More… from Anxiety and self-compassion – when it’s time to ask for help
With around 5.5 tonnes of cocaine consumed in Australia each year, and around 60% of that (2.9 tonnes) consumed in Sydney alone, the east coast of Australia is in the midst of what has been dubbed ‘Australia’s Cocaine Crisis’. Australia has the highest per capita rate of cocaine use in the world, and those […]
Depression can happen to anyone and is a major global health problem, with one million Australian adults experiencing depression and two million experiencing anxiety each year. With almost half of all Australian adults experiencing mental health conditions in their lifetime, how can we help people who experience depression? How do we help ourselves and those […]
The world’s highest paid female athlete ever, Naomi Osaka, taught us all a valuable lesson this month when she withdrew from the French Open Tennis, citing mental health concerns. The lesson? Mental health is priceless. Osaka, who earnt US$37.4 million (A$48.2 million) in 2020, shone the spotlight on elite athlete mental health, drawing both applause […]
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), in conjunction with other anxiety disorders, is the sixth largest contributor to non-fatal health loss globally, according to the World Health Organization. More than half a million Australians, or 2% of our population, are living with the disorder. What causes OCD is unknown, but researchers believe that people with OCD have […]
Some of us at some stage in our lives have been jokingly described as OCD, or we’ve teasingly told our friends they have OCD. “Your house is so clean!”, “You are so organised!” or “You get the same coffee from the same place every day …. you’re so OCD!” are some of the jests […]
Read More… from What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
We all know music makes us feel good, and research shows dopamine levels increase up to 9% while cortisol levels decrease when people listen to music. This increase in dopaminergic neurotransmission improves mood and affect, while a decrease in cortisol reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. Music therapy is the research-based allied health profession that […]
Read More… from Music Therapy, Voices, and Mental Health Recovery
According to Australasian Psychiatry, over 1.15 million Australians or around 4.4% of our population experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) each year, and that number is set to rise to rates higher than ever previously reported. The groups of people in our community with the highest rates of PTSD – emergency workers (10%) and Defence Force […]
