Category Archives: Child Mental Health
My nomination for the Headline Mental Health Media Awards 2019
I am delighted to be nominated for the Headline Mental Health Media Awards, which take place in Dublin on the 4th December 2019.
The awards, which were established more than a decade ago and relaunched this year – recognise excellence in the coverage of mental health issues
I am up against ‘A Lust for Life’ and Michelle Hennessy!
Wish me luck!
Mental Health Content | Online
– ‘Where There’s a Will’, A Lust for Life Podcast
– ‘I lost two sons to suicide – I want people to know it’s okay to have problems’, Michelle Hennessy for TheJournal.ie Podcast
– ‘Are we stressing our children out?’, Dr Malie Coyne for RTE Brainstorm
See the full listing of nominees per category here;
Update –
A win at the @HeadlineIreland Mental Health Media Awards wasn’t to be for my @RTEBrainstorm piece but I’m so delighted for @a_lust_for_life who took it home for their amazing podcast. I met such lovely people and got to dress up and have a day out in the big smoke with my hubbie!
Teens who kill – Newstalk Radio
Following the news that the two boys convicted of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriegel were sentenced at the Central Criminal Court yesterday afternoon, I discussed the subject of what drives teens to kill – Newstalk Radio.
See also my article in the Irish Independent (https://drmaliecoyne.ie/when-dark-vulnerabilities-collide-what-drives-teens-to-kill/),
When dark vulnerabilities collide: What drives teens to kill?
Published: Irish Independent
Author: Malie Coyne
“As the Judge delivered his sentence on the two teenagers convicted of murdering Ana Kriegel, we were left with a deeply uncomfortable question: What drives young teenagers to commit violent crimes like homicide on innocent victims? While teen murder is a rare phenomenon, it can and does happen when dark vulnerabilities collide.
Most of us were deeply disturbed when hearing about the loss of such a vibrant young girl with her whole life ahead of her and how she tragically came to her untimely death.
Seeing photos of Ana smiling tugs at my heart, because as a parent I cannot imagine the earth-shattering sense of loss her family must have felt as this trial was played out in the public domain. Their grief lives on forever.”
Read article
The importance of helping your children deal with negative self-talk
Published: The Irish Times
Author: Geraldine Walsh
Expert Opinion: Dr. Malie Coyne
“Because of the way the human mind works, we all speak to ourselves unkindly sometimes, which has huge power over how we feel about ourselves and others and how we make sense of our experiences.”
“A child who engages in a lot of negative self-talk is likely to grow up berating themselves unless they are supported by a caring adult who can help them see their inner beauty.
“Researchers have repeatedly found being self-critical can be harmful to both our emotional and physical health and is linked to everything from depression to anxiety to high blood pressure to dissatisfaction with life. Just like a physical attack sends our brains fight or flight response into overdrive, so does an emotional attack directed at ourselves. It’s like the modern day man’s predator is actually himself. To add insult to injury when we engage in self-criticism not only are we the attacked but we are also the attacker and that is exhausting.”
Read article
The ultimate goal of parenting: How to raise a happy child
Published: Irish Independent
Author: Deirdre Rooney
Expert Opinion: Dr. Malie Coyne
“Happiness is a state and not something which can be maintained indefinitely. No matter what age we are, life presents us with a colourful rainbow of emotions. The more accepting parents and children are of this range and the less we try to pursue the ‘ideal’ of happiness, the more we can appreciate each moment,”
“All parenting begins with you. To be a calm, loving and empathic parent, you need to take good care of yourself. Parental self-care is about achieving balance and filling your cup so you have something to give to the many roles you play in your life, be it mother, father, partner, friend, carer or worker. If you take a pro-active approach to nurturing your self-care, you are far more likely to have the physical and emotional reserves to take on the unpredictability of what each parenting day brings.”
How to support the mental health and well-being of Irish children
Published: Irishcentral.com
Author: Frances Mulraney
Interviewee: Dr. Malie Coyne
“October 9 – 14 marks Mental Health Awareness Week in Ireland and so, IrishCentral is this week highlighting various groups and individuals doing extraordinary work in Ireland and Irish America, ending stigma and offering crucial help and resources.
Today we hear from Dr. Malie Coyne, a Clinical Psychologist, and NUIG Lecturer, who is also the Mental Health Lead on A Lust for Life’s Board of Directors. Dr. Coyne speaks to IrishCentral about the effects of immigration on your mental health and wellbeing, the current problems with mental health services in Ireland, her work with A Lust for Life, and how we can support the emotional wellbeing of our children.”
Read article
Website provides outlet for people with stories of abusive parents
Published: Irish Examiner
Author: Áilín Quinlan
Expert Opinion: Dr. Malie Coyne
They f*** you up, your mum and dad/They may not mean to, but they do/ They fill you with the faults they had/And add some extra, just for you.
THIS extract from the famous Philip Larkin poem is what the controversial new website, myhorridparent.com, is about.
However, unlike the poem, the website also offers hope and help to the children of “horrid” parents. It provides different techniques for dealing with toxic mums and dads, whose faults, it emphasises, are most definitely not caused by their offspring.
Read article
Nurture your child’s emotional health and boost their resilience – Interview
Validation of children’s feelings promotes positive mental health
Published: alustforlife.com
Author: Dr. Malie Coyne
Dignity was the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2015. Dignity is defined as “the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect”. FOR ME DIGNITY MEANS acknowledgement and validation of feelings, no matter how difficult or intense they may be, and no matter what age the person is. Without validation, dignity simply cannot thrive.
