HEALTH &
WELLBEING CENTRE
News from ou counsellors Br Roger Vallance FMS,
Ms Marijke Keller and Sacha Donaldson RN
St Augustine's College Cairns
It’s That Time of Year!
In NSW the exam season threatens with the term “beware the blooming Jacarandas” and in FNQ you’ll hear “mango season”. Whichever way you look at it, exams are looming and may trigger stress or anxiety even in the most well-prepared and diligent students.
There are some great, short-read advice and support articles for parents whose adolescents are experiencing exam or study stress. Click here to be redirected to the ReachOut site.
Social media age restrictions
From 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.
The restrictions aim to protect young people from pressures and risks that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts. These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing. There is clear evidence of harm to young people through social media, including Meta’s own internal research. Find out more by reading the following articles.
Media Harm Research: click here
Social Media Ban: click here
Resilience
This term is referred to a lot. There has been more call for the College counsellors recently around resilience and problem-solving skills. Below is a great introductory article about building resilience in your children: click here.
International Adolescent Health Week
13 to 19 October 2025
The theme this year is "Thriving Inside and Out: Strengthening Adolescent Physical and Mental Health". This theme emphasises the importance of helping young people overcome challenges and develop the resilience needed to thrive in today’s society.
The event takes place globally, but there are local events and initiatives across Australia - including workshops, talks and community projects which will be guided by this theme. The aim of the week is to promote awareness and foster support for the holistic wellbeing of young people everywhere.
Here are some useful teen/parent resources to acknowledge this week in the health calendar:
- Australian Association for Adolescent Health: click here
- Neurocognitive development: click here
- Australian Data on the Health of young people: click here
- For Year 12s/18 year olds transition to independent health care: click here
- My Digital Health Record: click here
- Young people’s health contacts: click here