A cluster of major Australian investigations this week has painted a troubling portrait of young people under siege. An Australian-first study has identified the biggest predictors of depression and anxiety in teenagers: bad sleep and trouble at home. These factors can set adolescents on a trajectory towards serious mental illness, though researchers noted that certain protective factors can help.
The findings come amid a broader reckoning over youth despair in Australia. Reporting from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age found that young Australians’ expectations of life are not unrealistic — but that government measures intended to help are, in some cases, causing further harm. Amid the ongoing “screentime panic,” one analysis argued that while phones and technology are undeniably a problem for teen mental health, they could also be part of the solution. Helping teenagers where they are already looking for answers — online — may be more effective than simply trying to pull them away from screens.
Separately, a disturbing investigation revealed that dozens of babies have died or been permanently injured after “freebirths” — births without any medically trained professionals present. Data has uncovered the catastrophic consequences of a rising trend among women choosing this path, with medical experts calling the outcomes “avoidable.”
