9 episodes

Welcome to Bright Psych with Danni! Join her as she talks mental health, learning, and everything in between.

Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit lost with the abundance of information out there about mental health and wellbeing? Well, we hear you loud and clear, and want to provide you with clear and easy-to-understand information on topics that are relevant to you. Join Danni and she delves into the mind, and interviews various experts, advocates, and people with lived experience.

Danni O'Connor is a Clinical Psychologist based at Brighton Secondary School in South Australia.

Bright Psych with Danni O'Connor BrightPsychPod

    • Health & Fitness

Welcome to Bright Psych with Danni! Join her as she talks mental health, learning, and everything in between.

Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit lost with the abundance of information out there about mental health and wellbeing? Well, we hear you loud and clear, and want to provide you with clear and easy-to-understand information on topics that are relevant to you. Join Danni and she delves into the mind, and interviews various experts, advocates, and people with lived experience.

Danni O'Connor is a Clinical Psychologist based at Brighton Secondary School in South Australia.

    Episode 8. Nicotine Gone Viral: The rise of vaping amongst young people

    Episode 8. Nicotine Gone Viral: The rise of vaping amongst young people

    Professor Nicola Spurrier, Chief Public Health Officer of SA Health joins Danni today, along with Dr. Joshua Trigg from Flinders University to discuss the history of e-cigarette use, its rise in use amongst children and young people, and how we can support those we care about to kick the habit.

    Do you or a someone you care about need support to quit vaping or cigarettes? Book in with your GP, or contact Quitline on 13 78 48 or visit https://www.quit.org.au/


    For further information about the truths and harms of vaping, visit the SA Health Be Vape Free website: http://bit.ly/sahealth_bevapefree or the SA Department for Education https://www.education.sa.gov.au/parents-and-families/safety-and-wellbeing/health/alcohol-tobacco-and-other-drugs-schools
    You can also check out ABC's Dr Karl's video series titled "Vape Truths":
    https://www.vapetruths.initiatives.qld.gov.au/dr-karls-vape-truths

    If you need some tips on how to have a supportive conversation about vaping with your young person, head to:
    https://bit.ly/HowToTalkAboutVaping
    https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/vaping


    Other information and resources/videos we covered in this episode:
    https://bit.ly/ABC_4Corners_Vaping
    https://truthinitiative.org/
    https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/joshua.trigg


    For a full citation list of the research used to develop this episode, click the link below:
    https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A17d1a6a8-3f7d-3c45-8f04-e10a745344c0

    • 33 min
    Episode 7. The Masculinity Paradox: Struggles, stigma, and shaping a new narrative

    Episode 7. The Masculinity Paradox: Struggles, stigma, and shaping a new narrative

    "If you can share in the challenges of life with people, then you also get to share in the richness of life with people" - Joshie Glover, 2023



    Tune in to this eye-opening episode as we delve into the topic of traditional masculine stereotypes and their profound impact on mental health and help-seeking behaviors among young men and boys. We have a valuable discussion with youth worker from Brighton Secondary School, Mat Hubber, who shares his experiences and how he balances his work with being a parent. We also host a captivating interview with Josh Glover, a passionate facilitator from "The Man Cave" a renowned mental health charity for young men and boys.

    Gain valuable insights, practical advice, and strategies to help foster healthy masculinity and boost emotional intelligence in young men and teenage boys. A must-listen for all parents!




    Content Warning: although it is not the main point of conversation in this episode, there is a brief mention of domestic abuse and divorce. If this is a topic that is sensitive for you, the resources below can be accessed for further support.

    Reminder: if you think you need immediate assistance and are in danger, call 000.

    If you would like to speak to someone about your situation, you may wish to contact one of the following resources:


    LifeLine: 13 11 14 | www.lifeline.org.au
    MensLine Australia - Free professional telephone counselling support for men with concerns about mental health, anger management, family violence (perpetuating and experiencing), addiction, relationships, stress and wellbeing: 1300 78 99 78 - 27 hours, 7 days a week. www.mensline.org.au
    Blue Knot - Information and support for anyone affected by complex trauma: 1300 657 380 - 9am to 5pm (AEST), 7 days a week. www.blueknot.org.au
    1800 RESPECT - National sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line: 1800 737 732 | www.1800respect.org.au
    Kids Helpline: Confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years: 1800 55 1800 | www.kidshelpline.com.au

    How to access mental health support in Australia:

    https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-where-to-get-help

    Reference List:

    https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:d2bbfb85-cafd-3bbc-a86e-7cb2bebe7f95



    Further information and resources:

    https://themancave.life/

    https://www.understandingboys.com.au/parenting-boys-into-healthy-adult-men/

    https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/young-people

    • 52 min
    Episode 6. Cracking the Sleep Code

    Episode 6. Cracking the Sleep Code

    Danni is joined by Dr. Chelsea Reynolds to talk about sleep habits, challenges and strategies to get a better night's sleep. Dr. Reynolds is a clinical psychologist who specialises in sleep. She has conducted numerous research studies on the topic of adolescent sleep, and has worked directly with young people to assist them with sleep difficulties and disorders.



    How to access mental health support in Australia:

    https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-where-to-get-help



    Resources:

    Information on Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder:

    https://psychology.org.au/inpsych/2014/april/gradisar

    Information on general healthy sleep habits:

    https://positivepsychology.com/sleep-hygiene-tips-kids-teenagers/

    https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/healthy-lifestyle/sleep

    https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/teenage-sleep-problems-help-get-back-track/



    Research conducted by Dr Chelsea Reynolds:

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chelsea-Reynolds-5

    • 31 min
    Episode 5. The TikTok Effect: Can self-diagnosis go too far?

    Episode 5. The TikTok Effect: Can self-diagnosis go too far?

    After a brief hiatus, we are BACK! This week, we discuss recent upwards trend in self-diagnosis, and how TikTok and other similar social media platforms may be contributing to the spreading of misinformation and dangerous messaging.

    How to access mental health support in Australia:

    https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-where-to-get-help



    Supporting your young person to seek professional support:

    https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/mental-health-physical-health/mental-health-therapies-services/teen-mental-health-assessment



    Extra Resources and References:


    Abi-Jaoude, E., Treurnicht Naylor, K., Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 192(6), 136-141.
    Basch, C.H., Meleo-Erwin, Z. Fera, J., Jaime, C., Basch, C.E. (2021). A global pandemic in the time of viral memes: COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and disinformation on TikTok. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 17, 2373–2377.  
    Blackman, A. (2018). What are self-limiting beliefs? +How to overcome them successfully. Retrieved from https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-are-self-limiting-beliefs–cms-31607 
    Curtis, R.G., Prichard. I., Gosse, G., Stankevicius, A., & Maher, C. (2023). Hashtag fitspiration:
    credibility screening and content analysis of Instagram fitness accounts. BMC Public Health. 23(241).
    Kong, W.; Song, S.; Zhao, Y.C.; Zhu, Q.; Sha, L. (2021). TikTok as a health information source: Assessment of the quality of information in diabetes-related videos. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 23, e30409. 
    Krasnova H, Widjaja T, Buxmann P, et al. (2015). Why following friends can hurt you: An exploratory investigation of the effects of envy on social networking sites among college-age users. Information Systems Research. 26. 585-605.
    Lupton, D., Jutel, A. (2015). ‘It’s like having a physician in your pocket!’ A critical analysis of self-diagnosis smartphones app. Social Science and Medicine. 133, 128-135.
    Mandzufas, J., Ayalde, J., Ta, D., Munro, E., Paciente, R., Pranoto, E.P., King, K., How, K., Sincovich, A., Brushe, M., et al. (2023). The Investigation of Health-Related Topics on TikTok: A Descriptive Study Protocol. Digital, 3, 97–108.  
    McCashin, D., Murphy, C. (2023). Using TikTok for public and youth mental health – A systematic review and content analysis. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 21(1), 279-306. 
    Naslund, J.A., Bondre, A., Torous, J. & Aschbrenner, K.A. (2020). ‘Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks and Opportunities for Research and Practice’. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 5, 245-257.  
    Nguyen, V.C., Birnbaum, M., De Choudhury, M. (2023). Understanding and Mitigating Mental Health Misinformation on Video Sharing Platforms. ACM Conerences on Human Factors in Computing Sytems, April 23-28, Hamburg, Germany, New York, USA.
    Song, S.; Zhao, Y.; Yao, X.; Ba, Z. (2022). Serious information in hedonic social applications: Affordances, self-determination and health information adoption in TikTok. Journal of Documentation, 78, 890–911.  
    Twenge JM, Joiner TE, Rogers ML, et al. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science. 6, 3-17.
    Van Dam, S.; Van Reijmersdal, E. (2019). Insights in adolescents’ advertising literacy, perceptions and responses regarding sponsored influencer videos and disclosures. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. 13, (2).
    Yeung, A., Ng, E., Abi-Jaoude, E. (2022). TikTok and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A cross-sectional study of social media content quality. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 67(12), 899-906.

    • 38 min
    Episode 4. Smartphones and Social Media: Who is that little dopamine devil on my shoulder?

    Episode 4. Smartphones and Social Media: Who is that little dopamine devil on my shoulder?

    In this episode, Danni speaks with Clinical Neuropsychologist, Kimberley Wigg, about the role that a neurotransmitter called "Dopamine" plays in the addictive nature of smartphones and social media.  

    The South Australian state government has committed to banning student access to mobile phone in all secondary school across South Australia. This ban will be actioned in Term 2 this year at Brighton Secondary School. What does this mean for our students? And how are we able to start to build healthier phone habits for ourselves and our young people?



    Phone Apps to reduce screen time:

    iPhones - built into the device. Go to 'Settings', then under 'screen time', you can select 'app limits'. You can then toggle how much time you are allowed to have on these apps within a 24 hour limit. Also, go to 'Settings', then under 'Downtime' you can also decide what time all the apps shut down for the day.

    Android - built into the device. Go to 'Settings', then under 'Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls', you can select 'App Timers'. You can then toggle how much time you are allowed to have on these apps within a 24 hour limit. Also, go to 'Settings', then under 'Wind Down' you can decide what time of day you stop receiving notifications on your phone.

    Some other apps: Forest | Flipd | Break Free



    Book recommendation:
    Dr Anna Lembke. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.




    Extra Resources and References:

    ⁠https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/digital-lives-aussie-teens⁠ 

    ⁠https://www.brightonss.sa.edu.au/healthy-use-of-phones-social-media/⁠  

    ⁠https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/responsible-phone-use⁠ 


    Abi-Jaoude, E., Treurnicht Naylor, K., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 192(6), 136-141.
    Carter, B., Rees, P., Hale, L. et al. (2016). Association between portable screen-based media device access or use and sleep outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. 170, 1202–8.
    Chang, A-M., Aeschbach, D., Duffy, J.F. et al. (2015). Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 112. 1232-1237.
    Holland, G., Tiggemann, M. (2016). A systematic review of the impact of the use of social networking sites on body image and disordered eating outcomes. Body Image, 17, 100–10.
    Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P.C., Vartanian, L.R. et al (2015). Social comparisons on social media: the impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and mood. Body Image, 13(38), 38-45.
    Lembke, A. (2023). Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Headling Publishing Group. London, United Kingdom.


    Mendoza, J.S., Pody, B.C., Lee, S. et al. (2018). The effect of cellphones on attention and learning: the influences of time, distraction, and nomophobia. Computers in Human Behavior. 86, 52–60.
    Twenge, J.M., Martin, G.N., Campbell, W.K. (2018). Decreases in psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012 and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology. Emotion (18). 765–80.
    Twenge, J.M., Joiner, T.E., Rogers, M.L. et al. (2017). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science. 6(3),doi 10.1177/2167702617723376.
    Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., Hamilton, H.A., Chaput, J.P. (2018). Use of social media is associated with short sleep duration in a dose-response manner in students aged 11 to 20 years. Acta Paediatrica. 107, 694–700
    Van der Schuur, W.A., Baumgartner, S.E., Sumter, S.R. et al. (2015). The consequences of media multitasking for youth: a review. Computers in Human Behavior. 53, 204-15.

    • 43 min
    Episode 3. The Power of Validation

    Episode 3. The Power of Validation

    Increasing communication, decreasing conflict, and finding ways to express our emotions more accurately... these are some of the ways that validation can be a secret superpower. 

    In this episode, Danni and her guest, Kate Exelby (Brighton Secondary School Youth Worker) explore the power of validation, and how simple changes in communication with our young people can decrease stress and reactivity, improve relationships and create a calm, safe space for connection.



    Disclaimer:

    Although we will be chatting about psychology and wellbeing, the content of this podcast is for educational purposes only, and does not constitute therapy. Nor is this podcast intended as a substitute for professional mental health or medical care. Please seek assistance from a qualified mental health or medical professional to obtain advice or psychological treatment that is tailored to your specific needs.

    Lifeline Australia: free, 24 hour crisis support via telephone/webchat/text. 13 11 14. https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 

    Beyond Blue: free 24 hour mental health support via telephone/webchat/text. 1300 22 4636. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ 





    For further information about Validation:

    https://psychcentral.com/blog/emotionally-sensitive/2012/02/understanding-the-levels-of-validation#1

    https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/communicating-relationships/communicating/conflict-management-with-teens 



    Linehan, M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual, Second Edition. The Guilford Press, New York.

    Linehan, M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition. The Guilford Press, New York.

    Shenk CE, Fruzzetti AE. The impact of validating and invalidating responses on emotional reactivity. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 2011;30(2):163–183.

    • 51 min

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