What is this covering that we call the skin — this amazing envelope that contains some of the most extraordinary mechanisms in the entire body? It is not just the ‘giftwrap of life’, but an efficient organ of the body that guards, nourishes and protects it 24 hours a day. Yet we take our skin for granted
Terry Wallace was a tough footballer. During his time playing for the Hawthorn Football Club he was called ‘the Plough’ for his ability to burrow into packs of players and emerge with the ball. Later, as a coach, he presented a terrifying spectacle when excoriating his players after a losing game
Mental health conditions are extremely common in the community and have a major impact on people’s day-to-day lives, as anyone who has been through the experience will tell you. For many people one of the hardest things is the uncertainty about recovery, and indeed, it is often a person’s very sense of hope that is diminished. For people experiencing mental distress there often is a powerful sense of hopelessness combined with a sense of despair that they will never recover
In recent decades, there has been an extraordinary technological revolution underway in which the very building blocks of life, our genetic codes, are increasingly well understood and even manipulated by rapidly advancing scientific techniques. Meanwhile, the humble local general practitioner (GP) is still the backbone of most health systems around the world, a trusted source of advice and health care in the community, and is likely to play a growing role in communicating the significance of new genetic technologies
Throughout history people have relied on some form of doctor or other healer to help them and their families during times of illness, and to provide comfort and cures for various forms of sickness. Even with all our modern technology, powerful medications and access to vast quantities of health information on the Internet, people still encounter the daily health problems of living
When we began to reflect on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health care, immediately there were a whole range of concerns that leapt out at us. How on earth could a non-living digital device be of value to any human being experiencing mental health issues? Isn’t another human being absolutely essential to provide the compassion and understanding of fellow human beings’ emotions, thoughts and feelings, and intimate troubles of life
A thirty-seat plane sat on the runway, its propellers spinning hypnotically in the darkness. The engine roared, a deafening thunder that threatened to blow my six-year-old body away. As my grandfather and I sat in the tiny gate lounge, fluorescent lights flickering above, I held his hand tighter, excited yet intimidated by the adventure we were about to embark on
My interest in older people began quite early in my own life for three reasons. The first because my mother became seriously ill in her late fifties and I already had to learn to start to understand the role of being a carer — especially the role of carer of a parent
Kenny and thousands of other people with disabilities in Australia fall through a huge gap in our social services network, because their injury or disability is non-compensable. Because of this, individuals with a disability struggle below the poverty line
Leadership capabilities for digital and non-digital businesses are converging. As a result, there is considerable commonality around the core capabilities that organisations are seeking in their executives and managers. In COVID times, the criticality of these attributes is further reinforced due to the demands of leading in uncertain times and ongoing shifts in expectations.