Dec 7, 2017, (Australia) Guardian: ‘Sadness is all you have’: why youth mental health is in need of urgent help https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/07/sadness-is-all-you-have-why-youth-mental-health-is-in-need-of-urgent-help A new survey of 24,055 young Australians, released today by Mission Australia, shows mental health has been identified as the most important issue in the nation. It is the first time mental health has topped the list. About one-third of young people (33.7%) recorded mental health as the most important issue in Australia, doubling from 14.9% in 2015. The Mission Australia chief executive, James Toomey, said the results showed the need for a comprehensive, coordinated and cohesive national response to youth mental health. That included greater investment in universal mental health programs in schools and more funding for community-based mental health services, he said.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.