Children have the suitable to learn, play and grow.

To help children thrive, parents and health care professionals must ensure they get the medical attention they need. nonetheless, Current evidence Shows we are able to get kids more involved of their health care appointments.

Research suggests. Children who actively take part in their treatment recuperate faster from surgery, have less anxiety and feel more valued.

Our A new study Examines ways to support kid’s involvement in health care appointments.

So what are they? And how can we implement them?

which we studied.

For over 50 years, researchers What is a track? How involved children are of their health care appointments, using various measures of how much children talk in conversations in comparison with other people. In that point, the extent of kids’s participation has been consistently low. And it doesn’t appear to be improving.

Our New research suggests that this will be because we focus an excessive amount of. What do the children say?Ignoring the Many other methods Children communicate.

Our study focused on pediatric palliative care services.

Pediatric palliative care is a style of treatment for youngsters diagnosed with life-limiting conditions. This includes severe cerebral palsy, genetic syndromes equivalent to trisomy 18, neurological and metabolic conditions equivalent to Childhood dementiaand advanced cancers equivalent to leukemia and brain tumors. The goal of pediatric stroke care is to enhance the kid’s quality of life, while also providing support for his or her family.

We focused on pediatric palliative care services because they support children of all ages, from infants to young adults. And they support children who can speak in addition to children who cannot.

In our study, we video-recorded 60 pediatric palliative care appointments, delivered by three Australian services. We then examined how children interacted with health care professionals, members of the family, carers and support people during these appointments.

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Children communicate in some ways.

Our results show how necessary nonverbal communication could be.

At these meetings, the youngsters often interacted. Through sounds In addition to words. Examples include moaning, groaning, crying, and laughing. He also contacted. Through actions Such as touch, gesture, posture and facial expressions.

Once we began listening to these other sorts of interactions, we also found very sick children Constantly involved In healthcare appointments – every 90 seconds on average.

We also observed that some children didn’t involve themselves. Instead, adults actively involved them in health care appointments. Adults did this in many alternative ways, including talking, playing, and using gestures. For example, a physician involved a baby in fidgeting with a toy that the kid dropped at an appointment.

Our findings emphasize the necessity to train families and health care employees to interact children in verbal and nonverbal ways – especially when interacting with children who don’t speak.

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Involving adults

These results give us a A second studywhich examined how the presence of adults can influence kid’s involvement.

In this study, we found that children were least likely to interact in appointments when only two adults were present. He tended to be a member of the family and a health care skilled. In this case, these two adults will discuss the kid’s treatment with one another – often without involving the kid.

However, when more adults were present, normally not less than one in every of them involved the kid more actively throughout the visit.

The necessary thing is that there have been children. Most involved Appointments that involved multiple health care skilled. This was very true if just one member of the family may very well be there.

For example, consider a gathering where there was a physician, a nurse, a baby, and one in every of the kid’s parents. This arrangement would allow one skilled to give attention to communicating with the member of the family, while the opposite prioritized the kid and their involvement.

In our study, we observed professionals. Engaged children By playing peek-a-boo, singing the infant’s favorite song and praising how much the infant has grown. These are all creative ways to involve children of their health care.

So, how can we get kids more involved?

To higher involve children of their treatment, health care employees can:

• Think broadly about interacting with children, for instance singing or fidgeting with them

• Offer families other supports, equivalent to flexible planning and scheduling for appointments, in order that multiple member of the family, caregiver or support person can attend appointments with the kid. Telehealth may suit some families and there are methods. Involving children When using it

• Advocate for funding and structure for services in order that not less than two health professionals, ideally from different disciplines, can attend appointments. Students or health care professionals in training may additionally attend meetings to learn these communication processes.

Parents and members of the family also can actively involve children in:

• Your child observes the varied ways he expresses himself and is inspired to speak these ways during health care appointments. You may have to elucidate this to health care professionals to assist them communicate together with your child.

• Brainstorming creative ways to involve your child in health care appointments, whether through talking, pointing, touching or playing.

• If possible, bring multiple adult caregiver or support person to appointments. Brothers and sisters could also be an alternative choice, as they often have a novel relationship with their sick sibling.

• By using tools Researchers have designed support for families accessing pediatric palliative care services, including handouts with guidance on learn how to talk over with sick children. Their treatment And what happens in the event that they have a condition. It gets worse.

For hundreds of thousands of individuals, cannabis has turn into The unofficial recipe for lost sleep. But what looks like an answer can quietly make the issue worse.

Consider these two cases:

She is 15 years old and has been in bed for the past hour. It is past midnight, and his mind won’t rest. Her school bus arrives at 6:20 a.m. She’s getting restless, knowing she has to get up in six hours. He did all the precise things: turned off his phone at 10 p.m., tried. Melatonin. So tonight she tries something a friend really useful: a cannabis gum. Within 20 minutes, she is asleep.

He’s 34, a veteran who served two tours and has struggled with sleep since coming home. It takes him two hours to go to sleep, and when he does, he wakes up with nightmares. He hasn’t slept greater than three hours an evening in months, and it’s catching up with him. His friend swears cannabis helped him, and with a six-month waiting list for a sleep consultation on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a cannabis dispensary six blocks away that is open until 10 p.m., the choice doesn’t seem complicated.

Both will inform you that cannabis works for his or her specific needs. They are usually not mistaken in any respect. But nobody told them what actually happens contained in the brain when the lights go on. It’s complicated, and for them – as for a lot of others – it’s ultimately a trap.

As a neurologist specializing in sleep and mental performanceI’m writing this not as someone against cannabis, but as someone who frequently sees patients whose sleep has quietly disappeared after months or years of use, especially teenagers and veterans.

I consider the general public deserves a more complete picture due to the limited research available.

Why the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable.

From early teens to mid-20s, The mind is actively under construction.clearing weak or redundant connections and strengthening circuits liable for Judgment, emotion regulation and the stress response.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THCThe psychoactive component of cannabis, interferes with this process. Acting directly on The endocannabinoid systemone among the first regulatory networks guiding it.

A 2021 brain imaging study of 799 adolescents found that cannabis use was dose-dependent. Thinning of the cerebral cortex – That is, the more cannabis a teenager uses, the thinner their prefrontal cortex becomes. The prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain liable for Decision, decision making and impulse control. Thinning of the cortex Increased impulsivity on this region has been related to poor decision-making and reduced inhibitory control.

Another rarely discussed factor is how puberty affects sleep. Hormonal changes in adolescence and changes in brain maturation The internal biological clock, known as the circadian rhythm.to a later sleep schedule.

And teenagers are removed from alone. A 2025 study found that greater than 1 in 5 young adults within the U.S. Use cannabis or alcohol to help you sleep.. For teens who’re already sleep-deprived and facing the beginning of elementary school, cannabis might be their nighttime fix.

What is cannabis doing when you sleep?

Sleep will not be passive. It is well organized, purposeful and fundamental to our physical and mental health.

every night, The brain goes through different stages.each serving a selected function. All stages of sleep are vital, but an important is REM sleep, the dreaming stage. This is when the mind Acts on the emotional weight of the day., Locks in learning and resets brain circuits that control mood, judgment and resilience.

THC has a sedative effect at low doses but is stimulant at high doses. Cannabis also includes other things. Cannabinoids – Plant-derived compounds similar to CBD and CBN that interact with a system within the body that produces its own cannabinoids and Contributes to sedative effects. of hemp.

This is where it gets complicated.

THC helps people go to sleep faster, but This effect wears off quickly As the body adapts to regular use. The same mucus that when helped someone go to sleep quickly does. He More is needed to achieve the same effect.

Also, falling asleep early will not be the identical as sleeping well. A 2025 review of research so far found that cannabis doesn’t consistently improve sleep overall, including how long people sleep or What a peaceful sleep.

In a separate study, chronic every day users spent significantly longer. Night waking and less restful sleep Compared to non-users; Another study reported using cannabis at bedtime had similar effects.

In other words, the subjective feeling of higher sleep doesn’t match What brain recordings show..

When comfort becomes trust.

Many individuals are currently using cannabis not because it really works well, but because Stopping feels worse.

Even when chronic cannabis users have abstinence, they often experience it. Brutal withdrawal symptoms They are more intense than what attracted them to cannabis in the primary place. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and disturbing dreams, are described as A common symptom of cannabis withdrawal. In addition, two-thirds of users report other symptoms similar to restlessness, depressed mood, restlessness, irritability, lack of appetite or a mixture of those symptoms. Often persists for weeks after stopping use..

gave Return pain Makes many individuals proceed to make use of it.

It’s a trap – it’s silent and insidious, making it hard to see.

Cannabis works well enough to feel like an answer. Night after night it dulls the issue without solving it, not even imagining stopping. When one finally tries to quit, one’s sleep is interrupted. So they return. The root reason for their insomnia has not been identified or treated, and it has not gone away.

Veterans and the necessity for long-term rehabilitation

A developing mind is a type of weakness. A traumatized mind is one other.

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects one estimate. 12% to 23% of post-9/11 veteransin comparison with 6% to eight% of the final population. Sleep disturbances affect 70% to 90% of military personnel with PTSD. People with PTSD normally have Nightmares that are visceral, relentless, and exhausting.. They may get up several times an evening with a pounding heart for years.

As a result, many veterans Turn to cannabis to help them sleep.. It’s comprehensible, especially when it may possibly take. Weeks or months to meet With a mental health skilled.

But the statistics on outcomes for veterans are sobering. He with Cannabis use disorder – That is, cannabis users struggle to manage despite the negative consequences, that are almost at all times affected. 4 veterans in 1 Those who use cannabis non-medically. High rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts And answer loads Worse for evidence-based PTSD treatment.
And then there may be a comeback. When an experimenter tried to stop, the identical symptoms that looked as if it would silence cannabis. Roaring in potentially dangerous ways. – Insomnia and nightmares, worsening depression and in some cases suicidal thoughts.

Because these withdrawal symptoms so closely mirror PTSD itself, many experiencers interpret the return of symptoms as a worsening of their condition, not a withdrawal, so that they return to cannabis. And the chain goes on.

What actually works, and why it is so hard to attain.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is taken into account a first-line treatment for persistent insomnia. Research shows that Beats every sleep drug, including cannabis..

It works by therapy Changing sleep habitsregulating sleep-wake schedules, reducing arousal and removing unhelpful beliefs about sleep. A type of treatment often known as Imagery rehearsal therapythrough which patients rewrite the story of a recurring nightmare and mentally rehearse the new edition while awake, have been shown to Effective for veterans With nightmares related to the trauma. But trained CBT-I providers are few, wait times long.and most primary care settings don’t offer it.

In other words, those most in danger for sleep-related harm from cannabis use are those that access treatment that addresses the underlying problem, and are most definitely to turn into trapped in a negative cycle.

For people who find themselves already stuck on this cycle, suddenly quitting rarely works and infrequently makes things worse. Research shows that CBT-I can reduce each insomnia and cannabis use at the identical time – treating the foundation problem in order that cannabis is not any longer needed.

Sleep is the inspiration upon which memory, mood, judgment and recovery are built.

The 15-year-old who cannot sleep and the veteran who wakes up gasping at 3 a.m. each deserve evidence-based details about what is going on on of their brains and real access to care that treats the underlying cause.

Like the UK and other countries Take steps to follow Australia’s lead in restricting access to social media for under-16s, we still do not know much about how technology affects young people’s mental health over time.

For example, does using social media for just a few hours every day increase the damage? Are younger people more vulnerable than older people? Is there a difference between girls and boys?

Our A new studyPublished today within the Medical Journal of Australia, provides some vital answers to those questions. It found clear risks from overuse of social media on young people’s mental health.

Alongside this, we also conducted a recent survey of Australian parents about efforts to limit access to social media for young people. The findings suggest that the law is changing parents’ views and behaviors about their kid’s use of social media.

A discussion on age

When Australia restricted access to social media for under-16s last December, there was much debate about whether the age limit of 16 was appropriate.

were within the variety of Longitudinal study which examined the connection between adolescent social media use and mental health. But few have systematically investigated whether the risks of social media use during adolescence vary by age.

An enormous one 2022 study The UK found that increased adolescent social media use over time was related to lower life satisfaction during specific age periods – 11 to 13 years for women and 14 to fifteen years for boys. It focused on life satisfaction and didn’t assess mental health symptoms.

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Deep digging

Our A new study Aim to dig deeper into these trends.

We used data from 1,195 students in Melbourne followed by the researchers. Annually From 12 to 18 years of age.

We examined whether their social media use was related to later mental health problems, and statistically accounted for a spread of individual and family aspects known to influence each social media use and mental health. Therefore, we were in a position to narrow down alternative explanations and strengthen confidence in our findings – despite the fact that we couldn’t prove causation.

We found that young individuals who spent greater than two hours a day on social media had a better risk of developing mental health problems a 12 months later, in comparison with those that used social media for lower than an hour a day. Mental health problems include elevated symptoms of depression and poor health.

Importantly, the hazards of social media use aren’t uniformly experienced in youth.

The strongest effects consistently emerged amongst youth ages 12 to 13 for each girls and boys. Young people aged 14 to 16 years and 17 to 18 12 months olds were almost twice as more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety, in addition to poor wellbeing and self-harm.

Overall, the estimated effect sizes were modest. But amongst 12- to 13-year-old girls, social media use of greater than two hours per day was related to about 11 additional cases of major depressive symptoms for each 100 teens.

Even small effects may be meaningful on the population level when large numbers of young individuals are spending greater than two hours a day on social media.

Restrictions based on age alone aren’t enough.

Our study cannot determine the age at which social media becomes “safe.” Nor should any single study inform national laws on age-based restrictions.

However, together with other Researchour study suggests that young adults are particularly vulnerable to the potential harms of social media, with the strongest effects occurring during early adolescence.

As a result, we expect Australia’s social media law to have the best impact on young people’s mental health. But more research is required to substantiate this.

However, age-based restrictions alone are unlikely to eliminate all risks related to adolescent social media use. We found evidence that some risks of mental health problems – namely elevated depressive symptoms – persist for young people as much as 18 years of age.

This highlights the necessity for continued support for older youth.

This includes holding social media platforms accountable for algorithms and features that promote forced engagement and exposure to harmful content. One approach to achieve this is usually recommended by Australia. Digital duty of care correction

This includes improving digital literacy and safety education in schools and supporting parents to assist young people develop healthy online habits.

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Changing the routine

We also recently conducted a survey of over 2,000 parents of youngsters aged 0 to 17 about social media access laws in Australia.

The survey found that 59% of fogeys felt that the law supported them in setting rules about social media use. In addition, 39% of fogeys reported that the law had modified their views on when children should first have social media accounts, with age 16 being essentially the most commonly approved (38%).

These findings, which have yet to be published, show that public health policies can influence appropriate or expected behavior.

Although evidence on the impact of Australia’s social media law remains to be emerging, it has already influenced global debates on adolescent social media use.

Age-based social media restrictions at the moment are being debated in lots of countries. And the conversation is quickly shifting from whether social media affects young people’s mental health to when young people could also be most in danger and the way we as a society should respond.

For many men with prostate cancer, the word “radiotherapy” still conjures up weeks of day by day hospital visits: 20 or more sessions, Monday through Friday, for a month or more. A brand new one NHS England programme The aim is to dramatically reduce this burden by offering eligible men a highly focused type of radiotherapy that treats cancer in only five sessions.

It almost sounds too good to be true: a comparable probability of disease control, with fewer visits and fewer disruption to work and family life. But the five-session treatment can still cause short-term and long-term negative effects.

So what exactly is changing, and what should men do about it?

A faster method to deliver radiation

The approach is named stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, or SABR. You might also hear it known as stereotactic body radiotherapy, or SBRT, and more colloquially as “multibeam” or “high precision.” Radiotherapy.

Instead of giving smaller doses over several sessions, doctors give higher doses at each appointment, precisely targeting the prostate.

Picture several torches shining from different angles. Each beam is comparatively weak, but the sunshine becomes much brighter where they meet. SABR works the identical way. Advanced imaging and computer planning map the goal area, sometimes using small implanted markers as reference points. The machine provides. Multiple beams which accumulates on the prostate, while nearby healthy tissue receives little or no radiation.

This precision allows the schedule to shrink from a minimum of 20 day by day sessions to 5 doses inside a fortnight. Appointments don’t necessarily must be on five consecutive days.

Why NHS England is changing.

Prostate cancer is probably the most common. Assessment Cancer in men UKWith over 55,000 diagnoses per yr. For men whose cancer is proscribed to the prostate, surgery or radiotherapy may offer a superb probability of cure. Questions about diagnosis and screening remain lively topics. Discussion.

Radiotherapy services with machines and specialist staff are under pressure. High demand. NHS England estimates that SABR may very well be offered to around 17,500 men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer every year. These are cancers which have not spread and are considered less more likely to grow or spread quickly.

About 3,500 men may initially go for SABR. Starting treatment across all 48 radiotherapy providers in England could lead on to around 50,000 free appointments a yr.

The rollout reflects a wider change in the way in which radiotherapy is delivered. Previous NHS England Policies have favored stereotactic radiotherapy in other settings. Over the past decade, Evidence from big medical Trials have shown that low, large doses of radiation can control prostate cancer as effectively as longer courses in patients for whom the treatment is suitable.

For patients, there may be profit practical: Weeks of hospital visits might be reduced to 5. Visits. You lie on a firm couch while a big machine moves around you. The treatment is painless. Additional imaging and checks are needed, but sessions take minutes somewhat than hours.

Side effects and safety

Radiotherapy for the prostate, whether delivered in five sessions or over 20. Risks. The prostate sits in a crowd. The neighborhood. The bladder sits just above it, the rectum sits behind it, and the urethra, which carries urine out of the body, runs through the center.

Men may experience urinary frequency or urgency, burning while urinating, loose stools and fatigue. These effects often resolve inside weeks or months. Some develop long-term problems, including urinary changes, leakage, erectile dysfunction or bowel symptoms akin to urgency or bleeding.

SABR is designed to limit radiation to surrounding tissue, but it surely delivers a better dose at each appointment. Trial evidence shows that negative effects are broadly comparable to those related to standard radiotherapy schedules. A five-session course doesn’t eliminate the chance of long-term complications.

SABR is already used to treat small lung tumors and other cancers. In the PACE-B trial, 95 of 100 men in each the five-session group and the usual treatment group remained freed from cancer reoccurrence five years after treatment. Long-term follow-up is very important.

SABR won’t suit every man. NHS England’s rollout is aimed toward eligible men with low- or medium-risk disease locally. A patient’s risk profile, general health and want for added treatment, including hormone therapy to slow cancer growth, will shape the choices offered by his or her medical team. Men with high-risk disease or cancer that has spread may have a special plan.

Not everyone needs immediate treatment

For some men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, the primary decision shouldn’t be “SABR versus standard radiotherapy,” but “treatment now versus careful surveillance.”

Many prostate cancers Move so slowly That they need to never cause problems in an individual’s life. That’s why doctors worry about overtreatment: surgery or radiation for cancers that never harmed the patient.

Active surveillance, a type of careful monitoring, often includes regular PSA blood tests, which measure prostate-specific antigen levels within the blood, in addition to scans and sometimes biopsies. Treatment is reserved for cancers which are advanced. Aggressive.

You might also hear this phrase. “waiting waiting”. The terms specify different methods. Active surveillance preserves the choice of treatment aimed toward curing the cancer if it changes. Watchful waiting often involves less intensive monitoring and is often really useful when the burden of treatment may outweigh the advantages.

SABR doesn’t change this calculation. For some men, surveillance often is the most appropriate option. For others, SABR offers a shorter method to provide effective treatment.

A step forward, with limitations

SABR should reduce the disruption brought on by frequent hospital visits and release badly needed capability in radiotherapy services. It doesn’t address the trade-off between cancer treatment and maintaining quality of life, and it won’t suit every man.

The key’s an individualized discussion of relevant options, including surveillance, surgery, standard radiotherapy and SABR.

For some men, shortening treatment to 5 hospital visits shall be too tempting. That policy shift is signaled by a quiet revolution in radiotherapy: more time at home, fewer trips to the hospital, and a treatment that tries to hit the cancer harder while hitting the remainder of the body less.

When Danish footballer Christian Eriksen Fell during a friendly match. Recently, many individuals would have been surprised to see a footballer walking off the pitch after regaining consciousness.

The event brought back memories. Erickson’s heart attack During the delayed Euro 2020 tournament in 2021. At this point, they needed emergency treatment on the pitch.

After the incident, Erickson was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). It is because of this device that he’s now recovering at home. Footballers too Posted on social media that her ICD “did exactly what it was designed to do: protect me when I needed it”.

Although the small print of this latest incident are still emerging, ICDs – nonetheless effective – don’t protect anyone from symptoms, blackouts or future medical problems.

What is an ICD and the way does it work?

one ICD A small pacemaker-like device designed to guard people prone to dangerous heart rhythm disturbances. These abnormal rhythms can prevent the guts from pumping enough blood across the body and, if left untreated, can result in a heart attack.

The ICD is implanted under the skin below the collarbone and connected to the guts by a number of thin leads. It repeatedly monitors heart rate and may respond inside seconds if a dangerous rhythm occurs. Depending on the situation, it might deliver a series of small electrical impulses or, if obligatory, a powerful shock to revive normal rhythm.

Importantly, the ICD doesn’t prevent abnormal rhythms from occurring. Like an airbag in a automobile, it provides protection when something goes mistaken.

Why would someone need an ICD?

ICDs are advisable for individuals who have survived or are known to have had a heart attack. At high risk Development of life-threatening heart rhythms.

This includes certain individuals with inherited heart conditions, diseases affecting the guts muscle, previous heart attacks or abnormalities of the guts’s electrical system.

How does an ICD respond during a cardiac emergency?

If a dangerous rhythm occurs, the ICD can provide treatment inside seconds. Patients may experience palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain or dizziness before treatment is run.

If a shock is required, it is usually described as a A sudden shock or slap as much as the chest. Although unpleasant, the shock is supposed to stop potentially fatal arrhythmias.

Modern ICDs also record detailed details about these events and may often transmit the knowledge on to the hospital.

Can someone with an ICD still lose consciousness?

Although ICDs work quickly, they should not immediate. If a dangerous rhythm occurs suddenly, blood flow to the brain could also be reduced before treatment. This is why some people feel dizzy, light-headed or may briefly lose consciousness.

However, not every blackout is attributable to an abnormal heart rhythm. actually, Other reasons are sometimes more common.

Many individuals with ICDs Take medicine which lowers blood pressure or slows the guts. These treatments are essential but can occasionally cause hypertension. Fall too low In certain circumstances – for instance, if someone becomes dehydrated, sick with an infection or stands up quickly.

Exercise may contribute. During physical activity, the body normally increases heart rate and blood pressure to take care of blood flow to the brain and muscles. But some heart medications can. Tick ​​these answers.Although the guts rhythm is normal, it occasionally causes dizziness or blackouts.

What tests do doctors do after an accident?

After treating an ICD, doctors will often want to know what happened.

One of the primary steps is to interrogate the device, which allows experts to review heart rhythm recordings before, during and after the event. Additional tests may include an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood tests, and an echocardiogram.

These tests allow doctors to search out the reason behind blackouts and rule out other problems. Doctors will even search for possible triggers reminiscent of worsening heart disease, dehydration, medication changes or abnormalities in blood chemistry.

Why are athletes with ICDs under close supervision?

Athletes and highly lively people require particularly careful follow-up after an event.

Exercise is significant for health and lots of individuals with ICD can proceed to take part in sports. However, a really fast heart rate during intense exercise could make it so. More difficult Device to differentiate between normal labor and dangerous rhythms. In some people, Strenuous exercise The possibility of rhythm disturbances can also increase.

Regular reviews allow doctors to review symptoms, review device recordings and adjust settings where obligatory.

Eriksson’s return to elite football after suffering a heart attack demonstrated what modern heart rhythm management could achieve. His latest demise is a reminder that an ICD is barely one a part of managing people prone to dangerous heart rhythms.

These devices cannot cure the underlying condition, but they supply a strong layer of protection that permits many individuals, including some skilled athletes, to guide lively and fulfilling lives.

Public hearings are underway this week to spotlight the impact of the Government’s recent National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Bill To tighten eligibility and save costs.

Over the past two days, A hearing was held on the inquiry of the Senate. That if the bill passes in its current form, it risks strengthening the gender. Inequality In the NDIS and excluding more women and girls.

We have known for a very long time that the NDIS has a gender problem.

Women and girls only wear makeup. 38 percent of the scheme. Men The number of women is more Cover almost every category of disability in all ages category (except 55 and above) and throughout the scheme.

From age 15, there are also access requests from men Approved at a higher rate. Compared to women’s access requests.

Strict eligibility

From 1 January 2028, the Bill would require scheme applicants to have access to all “appropriate” treatment (meaning known, evidence-based and available in Australia) more likely to “materially” (meaning significantly) improve or reduce the consequences of the impairment, before being granted access to the NDIS.

Applicants are all the time asked to exhibit that they’ve tried other treatments before applying for the NDIS. But the brand new rule is more likely to place a good greater burden on those with difficult diagnoses and medically complex treatments.

Under the brand new consistency rules, people can have to try a variety of potentially minor treatments that will improve functioning barely, even when their conditions usually are not understood, or the treatments are expensive or difficult to access.

Women are more likely than men. Clinically unexplained or Chronic conditionslike Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome And Fibromyalgiawhich causes chronic pain.

These “pay-to-prove” dynamics also disproportionately affect those with less financial resources. Women with disabilities usually tend to survive than men with disabilities. Low income. They have too. High costs and low income potential Due to high maintenance responsibilities.

Thus tightening access to the scheme – without first addressing expensive and difficult-to-access treatment pathways – risks excluding these women and girls from key supports.

Support may only be provided for approved terms.

If the Bill is passed, the NDIS will only provide assistance for needs which might be directly related to impairments recognized by the NDIS.

It reverses changes to the NDIS laws introduced. Two years agowho knew higher. Complex method People actually experience disorders.

In our current study, we talked about chronic pain with individuals who explained that pain from one condition (eg, a connective tissue disorder) can affect the functional effects of one other disorder (eg, autism or Psychiatric disabilityfor which they receive NDIS support). For them, it’s not possible to tell apart between support needs “directly arising” from their NDIS-recognised impairment and support needs which might be not directly related to that impairment.

Women are also more likely than men. To experience Multiple chronic health conditions and disabilities, particularly in age groups below the NDIS cut-off of 65.

Narrowing the lens of assessment and thereby limiting access also has gendered consequences.

Cuts in social participation funding.

The Bill empowers the Minister. Cut across categories. Without laws or consultation, supported in the long run.

We got a taste of what happened when the federal government announced that it might cut the social and community participation budget for participants.

50% Cut across the board would shift these responsibilities back to informal carers – mostly women.

are greater than Twice as much Female primary carers as male primary carers. The majority (84.7%) of primary care providers to children with disabilities are women.

Some 43.8% of primary caregivers have a disability themselves. This signifies that with regards to caregivers, we frequently speak about women with disabilities who provide primary care for youngsters with disabilities.

These deductions will increase unpaid care obligations. Bill’s Explanatory Memorandum acknowledges that:

Because of the gendered nature of caregiving, women usually tend to be affected by changes in available support. […].

These changes may result in a discount in paid employment for caregivers, deepening women’s socio-economic exclusion.

Cuts to social and community participation funding are also more likely to increase social isolation and reduce the natural safeguards of community connection for individuals with disabilities.

There are disabled women. Asymmetric probability Experiencing violence, subsequently cutting them off from meaningful community participation, is an unacceptable risk.

What must be done?

Bill’s Explanatory Memorandum says:

Opportunities to reinforce gender equality will likely be regarded as a part of the design and evaluation of future market reforms to deliver social and community participation and capability constructing activities.

However, no timeframe, benchmarks or accountability mechanisms are provided for when and the way this will likely be done.

The Australian Government’s approach Gender Responsive Budgeting New policy proposals are needed to include gender evaluation in the dimensions, scope and potential impact of reforms.

Given the dimensions and impact of the proposed NDIS reforms, we’d like a comprehensive and publicly available gender impact evaluation before this bill is passed.

We also need more certainty about what will be done outside the scheme for individuals who need basic support. The Australian Government has announced the Thriving Kids initiative. However, there may be Limited description On planned basic support for other participant groups.

Researchers and advocates have been calling for an NDIS gender strategy for years. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) began working on it. Early 2025but by 2026 This work was placed on hold to prioritize wider scheme reforms. Lawyers, eg Disabled Women AustraliaContinue to attract attention to the gender problems with these reforms.

The potential consequences of those reforms show that a gender strategy is required greater than ever.

Over the past decade, podcasts have turn into big business with greater than a fifth of UK adults. Listening to podcasts every week. The format particularly resonates with men, who discover with it greater than women. Podcast fans. There are also men. More representation As a podcast host.

In a society where Political division Increasingly between men and girls, this influential type of media is shaping expectations and experiences of gender. There is a perception amongst some that male-targeted podcasts are hosted strictly by “alpha males” who spout anti-feminist rhetoric and Rigid ideas of masculinity.

But the world of podcasts is each traditional and shifting. Ideas of masculinity. Some podcasts, including pro-feminist podcasts and people focused on men’s mental health, discuss Comprehensive and flexible ideas of masculinity.

In one A recent studywe examined how men profit from listening to men’s mental health podcasts. Research suggests. that podcasts can offer men a less disruptive option to have interaction with their mental health. This is essential given the present high rates of mental distress and suicide. Among men.

We interviewed listeners of a podcast produced by a UK-based men’s mental health support service. The service has roughly 300 users who engage with content online, a few of whom also contribute in person. Long-form episodes of the podcast feature conversations between men who’ve some connection to the service, in addition to the podcast host. They discuss their personal experiences helping others, breaking down taboos about mental health and offering emotional conversations between men. They openly discuss topics similar to grief, relationships, anger, substance abuse and suicide.

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We found that any such content encouraged audiences to think about and challenge rigid ideas about masculinity. Many of the boys we interviewed talked about how the podcast demonstrated a culture of positive masculinity. One man said that the kindness between the boys interacting through the podcast made him realize that the version of masculinity he had previously internalized was not helpful.

The men we interviewed report feeling wiser and fewer isolated. Podcasts provided a catalyst for discussing difficult issues in addition to venting their emotional vulnerability.

Men’s mental health will be affected by deeply ingrained, gendered values, attitudes and expectations placed on boys from a young age. Self-sufficiency and independenceFor example, there are characteristics which can be particularly characteristic of young boys. Encouraged to keep..

These barriers can act as barriers to men accessing traditional mental health support services. Counseling and psychotherapy. For men who don’t feel ready to have interaction in additional traditional types of help-seeking, mental health podcasts can provide an entry point for informational support.

It’s clear from our study that podcasts have the facility to influence their audience. When it involves issues like masculinity, this power should be used responsibly.

The reactionary side of men’s podcast

Podcasts will also be a vessel for normalizing and mainstreaming ideas which can be popular within the manosphere. It is an ecosystem of online communities united by anti-feminist values ​​and its promotion. Dominance of men over women. This variety of content is commonly attractive to men who’re experiencing social isolation and private challenges.

Many podcasts aimed toward a male audience often discuss the topics of status, physical appeal and romantic relationships in a difficult way. They may offer self-improvement “hacks” for men, which can attract younger listeners who lack confidence and Finding a role model. Self-improvement to extend one’s “sexual market value” is a recurring theme within the manosphere. This can lead young men to have a reductive view of themselves and of girls.

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While not overtly offensive content created by some manosphere personalities, similar, underlying tropes will be built into reasonable conversation through popular, mainstream, podcasts. Humor and irony could make regressive ideas palatable to audiences – subtly reinforcing sexism. framing it as a “joke”..

Often, these discussions are based on the justification of biological necessity. It is believed that men’s power over women is a natural and stuck social system based on biological sex differences.

It was behind one. Recent controversy Around an episode of Steven Bartlett’s popular podcast, The Diary of an ACEO. In it, Bartlett interviews a psychiatrist. Dr. Alok Kanojia. The couple talks about declining birth rates and male loneliness.

Bartlett asks whether there ought to be systemic intervention to be certain that solitary males can reproduce with females. Critics argued that this framing suggested that men were victims of political injustice—and that “injustice” Women’s Bodily Autonomy.

Amid massive social media backlash over the episode, a spokesperson for the podcast denied claims that the podcast promotes Manosphere theories. He noted that “Steven Bartlett does not adopt the opinions of his guests, nor is this format intended to judge personal viewpoints.”

our Research Shows how podcasts can result in positive conversations around masculinity. For example, by sharing vulnerable discussions of how men experience the burden of traditional masculinity and Changing social roles.

Podcasts can encourage men to challenge limiting beliefs about sex, help them improve relationships and even encourage them to hunt more help.

In our research, we recommend strategies for podcast creators who wish to create content. Supports men’s mental health.. They should first ask how their content helps men consider versions of masculinity that don’t depend on the subordination of others. This approach may offer a counter-narrative to soft manosphere content: critical self-awareness, vulnerability moderately than irony, and avoidance of blame.

Homelessness within the UK is reaching critical levels with much more. 380,000 people Only England is projected to be homeless by the top of 2025.

There can also be one Growing recognition that neurodivergent individuals are overrepresented in homeless populations; But lots more comes from it. Anecdotal reports from service providers or local research projects that take a look at specific neurodivergences similar to autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

So, our New research Explored why this may be. Our findings exhibit how neurodivergent people may experience exclusion at different points of their social life, education, and employment. In turn, this will result in increased financial hardship and a greater likelihood of homelessness.

As Homelessness increases Across the UK, public debate focuses on housing provision or personal responsibility. For example, housing and homeless charity shelters Highlights A chronic shortage of social housing and an increasingly unaffordable private rental sector.

We spoke to 6 neurodivergent people, from one local authority area, who had experienced homelessness or unsafe housing. To structure the interviews, we asked participants to create a Map of life.

It’s a visible timeline of necessary events that were meaningful to them, similar to education, employment, homelessness, help-seeking and diagnosis. We analyzed life maps and participant accounts, identifying three central themes of their stories.

First, ambiguity around diagnosis often confuses things and delays or prevents access to assist. Second, participants often appear to go through gaps at critical points of their lives, where support must have been available. And third, once in crisis, navigating services were often inaccessible, slow and frustrating.

Lifetime deficiency support

Our participants had many points of their lives where help was needed but ultimately missed. This had knock-on effects on their ability to stay in education or employment. In turn, this created an absence of opportunity and affected financial security.

For some participants, these challenges began in school. Most reported being bullied – an experience that’s Unfortunately common For many neurodivergent children. Faced with an absence of support for bullying, participants took motion by changing schools, moving areas, and even leaving school altogether.

Those who pursued higher education faced the challenges of being away from home for the primary time, in addition to an absence of specialist neurodivergent support. Some turned to alcohol to address social anxiety.

Neurodivergent adults are known to experience significant. Employment Gaps. Our participants also outlined quite a few challenges to securing and maintaining employment. One described being unable to seek out a spot for the work experience required to finish the qualification. They believed this was because of the stigma related to their diagnosis.

For others, jobs that may be considered entry-level, similar to customer support or retail jobs, presented unexpected difficulties, including sensory overload and social anxiety. UK employers are required by law to make changes to remove or reduce the potential drawback faced by disabled employees, which is “Reasonable Adjustment”. But most participants reported an absence of them in practice.

When our participants reached a crisis point and sought help with their housing needs, many experienced services as confusing or unsupportive of their needs. Most described long waits for various supports and services, often in inadequate, temporary accommodation.

Sensory and social challenges in these environments contributed to the deterioration of mental health. Long waiting lists to access therapy or diagnostic evaluation also made participants feel trapped and unable to maneuver on with their lives.

‘Society doesn’t care about you’

Respondents described patterns of persistent exclusion starting in adolescence, which paved the way in which for homelessness. Once in need of housing support, they found significant barriers to accessing services designed by and for neurotypical people.

When temporary housing was offered, in lots of cases it didn’t meet their neurodivergent needs. For example, most participants described being housed in busy, “chaotic” hostels that they were anxious to depart. In one case, a person with significant sensory sensitivities was living in shared temporary accommodation round the corner to a nightclub that played loud music throughout the night, affecting his sleep.

We also found that participants internalized these experiences. For example, they blamed themselves and felt like “society doesn’t care about you,” as one described. This affected each their self-esteem and their engagement with services.

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Many people may experience similar situations but not necessarily find themselves homeless. However, for our participants, difficulties were compounded by fewer social networks to fall back on during difficult times. He described difficulties in maintaining regular contact with friends. They were sometimes rejected by their families and others for not understanding their differences.

The stories we heard were powerful and poignant. They show the intense effects emissions can have on an individual’s life.

There were also many points at which early support or prevention could possibly be provided, for instance, when accessing education, workplaces and health and social care. There at the moment are a growing number Toolkits And guidance For services to working with neurodivergent people experiencing homelessness.

Taken together, our findings suggest how neurodivergent people may face unique pathways to homelessness. This shows why early, greater involvement and collaboration are essential to prevention.

We have hundreds of spontaneous thoughts a day. Most of them are trivial, like “Where did I leave my car keys?”

But now and again an odd and disturbing thought may pop into our head, reminiscent of “What if I hurt myself or someone else?”

So, what is the difference between those random (and sometimes scary) intrusive thoughts and suicidal thoughts?

And when can our thoughts be a warning sign we’d like help?

What are intrusive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts are sudden, involuntary thoughts, mental images or desires. They often cover difficult topics reminiscent of harm or the experience of it, pollution, wrongdoing, or sexual or religious content.

Sometimes these thoughts can feel dangerous or AnnoyingEspecially in the event that they are unwanted and we feel the urge to eliminate them.

But most individuals experience intrusive thoughts, and having them doesn’t suggest you are a nasty person or will necessarily act on them.

It’s not entirely clear why we have now intrusive thoughts. This may reflect the natural tendency of our minds to wander. This process is often helpful, and might help us construct latest understandings or generate latest ideas.

But below Stress Intrusive thoughts could be less helpful, especially after they feel unwanted, disturbing, or difficult to regulate.

So if intrusive thoughts are mostly a sign of stress, not danger, when do they change into an issue?

If these thoughts cause you distress and make it difficult to administer on a regular basis things like work, school or relationships, it might be an indication of a mental health disorder reminiscent of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder, Depression or Post-traumatic stress disorder.

What do you have to do about intrusive thoughts?

The more we attempt to remove intrusive thoughts, The more they back and the more intense They can change into.

However, a variety of psychotherapy that mixes cognitive-behavioral therapy with “exposure and response prevention.” effective To cope with intrusive thoughts in anxiety or OCD.

This involves allowing intrusive thoughts to be present without trying to regulate them, then steadily reducing less helpful responses (reminiscent of scrolling through your phone to attempt to stop the thoughts), so the brain learns that the thoughts usually are not dangerous.

You can try a straightforward version of this at home:

• Label the thought (eg, “This is an intrusive thought.”)

• Reduce unhelpful coping mechanisms (eg, drinking alcohol to dam unwanted thoughts)

• Let the thought pass (for instance, try a visualization exercise where you imagine the thought flowing down a stream, without engaging with it or attempting to eliminate it)

• Focus your attention on enjoyable activities like going for a walk, talking to a friend, or specializing in a task like cooking. This will not be to “escape” the thought but to let it sit within the background when you give attention to what is vital to you.

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What in case your intrusive thoughts are about death, self-harm or suicide?

Intrusive thoughts about experiencing loss reminiscent of your individual death, self-harm or suicide Surprisingly common. We might also have intrusive thoughts about harming others, including our family members.

Although they might feel distressing, having thoughts like “I wish I didn’t exist” doesn’t necessarily mean an individual wants or will act on them. However, it might indicate that they’re becoming emotionally overwhelmed. Anxious or depressed.

Intrusive thoughts about your individual death and specific ways of dying may mean something more serious. It can result in a High risk Suicide or self-harm.

When do intrusive thoughts change into a warning sign?

If intrusive thoughts are bothering you, affecting your every day life otherwise you’re interested by suicide, these are clear warning signs that it is time to get help.

Other vital Warning signs May include:

• More frequent or persistent thoughts or images about death or suicide

• Despair increases

• Actively interested by, planning, or preparing for death

• Behavioral changes reminiscent of withdrawal from others.

How can I get help and what can I do to assist another person?

You do not have to handle these thoughts alone.

If you notice these warning signs in yourself, it is vital to hunt help. Talking to a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist, trusted member of the family or friend could be first step.

If you will have intrusive thoughts about suicide, your GP may ask you to finish a Safety planwhich is a helpful reminder of methods to get help and stay secure when difficult thoughts, feelings or urges come up.

If you notice these symptoms in another person, it is vital to ascertain in on how they’re doing in a timely and caring manner.

Here is one A four-step guide:

1. Ask directly about suicide. It will not cross anyone’s mind.. When done sensitively, directly (“Are you thinking about suicide?”) and truthfully, it may possibly help people feel less alone.

2. Listen to the person, take them seriously and be with them.

3. Get help (see examples below).

4. Follow up and check in usually.

For more information and support

For more information and resources about intrusive thoughts and OCD, you possibly can visit Lifelineor for young people Reach out or Headspace.

You can visit This way up or Mind Spot To access interventional thoughts and evidence-based online treatment programs for OCD.

There are also online remedies for children And Kishor With OCD.

If you will have distressing thoughts about death and dying or suicide and wish someone to confer with, you possibly can call:

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Doing a load of laundry involves many choices – which cycle to decide on, which detergent to make use of.

These selections may appear to be easy personal preferences. But in communities where skin and other infections are common, doing laundry is commonly a part of medical advice.

Wash clothes and bedding. Widely recommended To help control skin and other infections. However, we do not know what wash settings are needed to kill or remove pathogens on clothes.

How hot is it? how long And with what detergent?

Our New research These questions must be answered.

Why is washing necessary?

Washing clothes and bedding generally is a method to support skin health.

Rural and distant First Nations communities experience particularly high burdens. Skin infections. These infections are driven by the implications of colonization, socioeconomic marginalization and housing inequality, which disproportionately affect First Nations people.

Skin infections can have serious consequences. For example, skin infections attributable to toxin-producing bacteria are driving the present. Diphtheria outbreak which has already been claimed. A person’s life.

Strep A may cause skin infections. Acute rheumatic fever And Rheumatic heart diseaseConditions that may cause inflammation throughout the body and everlasting damage to the guts. It has a huge effect on the lives of youngsters and families. Serious cases Can lead serious disability or death.

Improving access to effective washing might be a technique. Support well-being And prevents the spread of skin diseases. But we’d like to correct our wash setting.

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which we studied.

In our A new studywe conducted a scientific review analyzing all available research on the consequences of washing methods on fabric contamination and skin pathogens.

Our results show that temperature is an important think about stopping the spread of skin infections. This was true across all pathogens and parasites we examined.

We found that it’s simpler to clean clothes at a temperature of not less than 60°C for not less than quarter-hour to effectively kill any bugs or pathogens. This may be done in a washer that has been heated, or in a traditional dryer.

However, reaching these high temperatures isn’t all the time possible. Under current regulations, hot tap water can only reach one. 50°C maximum To prevent scalds. And just some washing machines have internal water heaters, so even a “hot” wash will not be hot enough. Dryers that heat water and run are also energy intensive. Expensive.

Contains detergent Activated oxygen bleach Can effectively kill some skin pathogens at low temperatures. But we’d like more research to know whether detergents and disinfectants could make washing with cold water simpler.

Washing in First Nations Communities

However, it is commonly impossible to clean laundry in a way that effectively kills pathogens. This is especially true in distant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Many households struggle to buy a reliable washer that’s large enough for the families needs. Can be washer. Twice as expensive In distant populations from urban areas, and the fee of electricity is excessive. Environmental aspects resembling dust, wet weather and Hard water – i.e. water with high concentrations of certain minerals – can damage machines and Reduce their age.

In some areas, as much as 70% of First Nations households go without A functional washer. Even fewer households have access to a dryer.

Community laundries may be one method to improve access to washing facilities. Our research shows that over the past decade, More than 50 Communal laundry facilities have been established in not less than 38 rural and distant First Nation communities. These facilities provide individuals with free access to industrial washing machines, machine dryers, hot water and soap.

Last November, the federal government made a commitment. A$11.4 million Funding for brand new or upgraded laundries.

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How removed from here?

Laundry facilities are attached. Human rights For water, sanitation and dignity. They have too. Obvious benefits for welfare.

But more work is required to grasp how effective washing can assist reduce skin infection rates, particularly in distant First Nations communities.

One reason is funding for these laundry facilities. Often tied for potential health advantages. A distant community laundry project, for instance, The aim is to prevent Serious conditions that may arise from skin infections. However, we do not have enough evidence to take a look at the health effects of getting more laundry facilities, or how we would increase them.

Another reason is that we currently don’t have guidance to support the communities and laundry providers that provide these services. Our research has highlighted that Australian Standard for Laundry PracticeFor example, there are not any specific recommendations on easy methods to arrange or operate community laundry facilities.

Everyone has a right. Wash and dry their clothes and bedding. But more work is required to be sure that washing facilities and procedures meet the needs, preferences and priorities of First Nations communities.