From which tome did Rachel Kelly think every line was worth noting for future reference?
What book...
... are you reading now?
I AM rereading Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. Unlike Blakemore, I'm no neuroscientist but I became interested in adolescent mental health about five years ago.
As a writer in the mental health field and an ambassador for charities including SANE and Rethink Mental Illness, I was getting more and more messages from parents struggling with troubled teenagers. What did I recommend? Did I know a good therapist?
I wanted to figure out ways we could support young people's psychological health. Blakemore's book prompted a lot of 'Ah ha!' moments – 'So that's what's going on in the teenage brain!' Right now I need a refresher on up-to-the-minute brain science: it is fascinating but also complex and Blakemore delivers.
... would you take to a desert island?
IT would have to be Middlemarch by George Eliot – a classic for a reason: it's so good. I enjoy underlining bits of books that resonate and squirrelling them away in my commonplace book to savour later. Usually, I might note down four or five good lines. But I had to abandon the practice with Middlemarch as I was almost copying out the whole thing.
I love Eliot's wise and compassionate view of the world. She combines a cracking plot stuffed with unforgettable characters with an ability to weave in observations on what makes us human.
... first gave you the reading bug?
I remember a boring summer holiday on the coast of Wexford in Ireland aged about 11 or so and discovering Agatha Christie.
I couldn't stop reading The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd to find out who'd done it. Detective stories help me stay present and alleviate my anxiety by diverting my thoughts from the past or future.
... left you cold?
I struggled with Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Yes, there is indeed an epidemic of teenage anguish, for which Haidt squarely blames smartphones. But my experience over the past five years is that adolescent mental health problems are complicated and resistant to any single explanation.
They also need multiple, imaginative and fresh solutions, and those Haidt offers are somewhat limited in that regard.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
I won first Love Island but the fall out from my instant fame was so bad I've given up sex for good, says Jessica Hayes
BEAMING Jessica Hayes had the world at her feet when she was crowned Love Island's very first winner alongside hunky Max Morley. But a decade later, the twice-engaged star has now taken a vow of celibacy and given up on romance after repeatedly having her heart broken. 6 6 As the hit ITV show celebrates its ten-year anniversary this week, 32-year-old Jess blames reality TV fame for sending her into a downward spiral. She told The Sun on Sunday: 'I'm so done with romance and dating. 'I don't want to fall in love. I just want peace and I'm down with being celibate. 'I don't miss sex or hugs or kisses. I don't miss men at all, to be honest. 'Right now, I don't know what's wrong with me. I think I'm traumatised.' It was a very different story in 2015 when then-host Caroline Flack announced Jess and Max, both 22 at the time, had won Love Island 's first series. Wearing a figure-hugging red dress, the former bank worker from Gloucester threw her arms around her suited partner and shrieked in delight. The smitten couple, who chose to share the £50,000 prize, received the most votes from the public after famously romping in the Mallorca villa as cameras rolled. Max, a professional cricketer from Huddersfield, settled with brunette Jess despite temporarily leaving her to couple up with her arch-rival Naomi Ball. The win was even more remarkable as Jess was drafted in at the last minute, having previously been told she had not made the cut. Jess Hayes Welcomes Baby Zenny: A New Chapter But just six weeks after their triumph, the winners dramatically split when Max was caught spending the night with Geordie Shore reality star Charlotte Crosby. Jess said: 'I had no idea what I was in for. 'It was chaotic. You forget there is an outside world and it's not normal to be locked in a confined space with a bunch of strangers for six weeks. 'I remember thinking, I wonder if anyone is watching this? "We didn't have a clue how big the show was going to be. 'To come out and find people running up to you in a shopping centre asking for a picture, it's bizarre. "Your life changes overnight. 'I had genuine feelings for Max, but personal appearances were a big thing back then. 'I WAS HEARTBROKEN' 'The male Love Island stars would have girls literally throwing themselves at them in nightclubs, so it was never going to work. 'When he was photographed with Charlotte, I was genuinely upset. 'I know some relationships from the show have worked out, but I think they must have a different level of maturity. 'Max wasn't that kind of guy. "In my own way, I was heartbroken, and I don't take heartbreak very well. I never have.' Now a devoted single mum-of-two, Jess admits she got too caught up in the party lifestyle in her twenties. A big wake-up call came with the suicides of Love Island stars Sophie Gradon, 32, in 2018, Mike Thalassitis, 26, the following year, and host Caroline, 40, in 2020. Jess said: 'It was awful what happened — just horrendous. This industry can be tough. "My rock bottom was three years after the show. 'I remember feeling very lost and thinking, what now? "You go out a lot and party a lot and sometimes it can be to excess and that's not good for you. "You come out of a show and you're a celebrity and no one says, 'This might only last five minutes'. 6 6 'I didn't have good guidance or good management and that didn't help me take the right path. 'There were points where I thought, what the hell am I doing? 'It's late nights and drinking a lot. It's not a normal lifestyle. 'You haven't got a day job to go to and you're going to showbusiness parties and film premieres. 'It's a lot for a young person to handle and it's a slippery slope. "It's not a Love Island thing, it's just an issue of handling the fame.' Jess's love life has proven to be equally turbulent. After splitting with Max, she got engaged to mechanic Dan Lawry six months after they met. The couple were overjoyed when she gave birth to their son Presley in 2019, but sadly she miscarried their second son Teddy at 19 weeks and they called time on their relationship in 2021. Jess next found love with a property developer called Zeb — she declines to give his surname — and she suffered another miscarriage in April 2023 before their daughter Zendaya Rose was born in May last year. The couple separated just before Christmas in 2024. Jess touchingly bounces her daughter on her knee during our interview. On being a single mum, she said: 'I couldn't ask for more from my children's dads. 'They are in their lives and they are good with them. Co-parenting is a bag of poop. "It's the worst thing ever. Over time, when you are a few years in, it's more of a breeze. 'But right now, while she's so little, I find it hard. "I need a break sometimes because I'm going crazy, but when she's not with me my anxiety goes through the roof.' Last week, Jess took part in ITV's Love Island: Decade Of Love show looking back on the programme's most unforgettable moments, ahead of its return to our screens tomorrow. Millie Court, 29, and Liam Reardon, 25 — who won in 2021 and are still a couple — also appeared on the anniversary show, proving that some Islanders have found The One while making millions in the process. Jess has become a successful social media influencer with 337,000 followers on Instagram, yet admits her fortunes have been more mixed. She said: 'I was so naive when I went on Love Island. 6 "If I was watching the show now, I would say, 'No Jess, what are you doing?' I tolerated a lot in there. 'But I never think with my head and I've never made the right decisions in love. 'I've been really impulsive and I rush into things too quickly. It gets me nowhere and I get hurt. 'That's why I want to be independent and focus on me and making money — and things that are long-term for my kids. 'I don't feel the need to get involved in relationships and I'm determined not to get back into bad old habits. I'm not materialistic at all now and I think that having children, your priorities change Jess "I haven't made millions of pounds or amassed millions of followers from going on Love Island, but I will never regret my journey. "It's given me a steady income for ten years and that makes me one of the lucky ones. 'Part of me wishes I'd had a few more opportunities, whether that be in TV or whatever. 'But if you're handed a lot of money when you are young, you can be quite careless. 'I'm not materialistic at all now and I think that having children, your priorities change. 'And if my daughter tells me she wants to apply for the show in 20 years time I will tell her, 'No way — not unless I'm your manager'.'
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Amy Childs and fiance Billy DelBosq send defiant message as they celebrate her birthday after cancelled wedding
AMY Childs and fiance Billy DelBosq has put on a united front as they celebrated her 35th birthday. It comes just days after the Towie couple revealed they had cancelled their wedding for now. 5 5 5 Mum-of-four Amy, 34, who first postponed her specialI Do day following her engagement in 2023, has again pushed back plans due to "last minute changes". In a new post, Billy marked Amy's birthday with a special video montage. Some of the photos included them on romantic date nights, on exotic holidays and snaps of Amy pregnant in 2023. The couple have jetted to Portugal with their kids Milly and Billy and Amy's eldest daughter Polly for the Towie away trip. Billy gushed over his fiance, writing alongside the clip: "HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY to my Queen. "The best mummy to our children. "The most caring loving person, my ride or die, my one. "Hope you have the most amazing day. I love you." Amy quickly commented, writing: "Love you babe," with a red heart emoji and reshared the post on her Instagram story. 'Gutted' Amy Childs 'cancels wedding to Billy Delbosq' after fan backlash over extreme weight loss Her cousin Harry Derbidge also reacted with a string of heart emojis. I DON-N'T Sources told Closer Magazine: "Amy has had to cancel her wedding and she's absolutely gutted. "There was going to be a show around it, following the run-up to their big day, but they've had to make some last-minute changes based on what's going on in their lives." Amy shares two of her four children with Billy, 42, who she first met in 2000. She referred to him as her "Prince Charming" after they set eyes on each other during lockdown. In 2023, the pair welcomed twins, Amelia and Billy, into the world after a "long and exhausting" labour - yet their marriage plans have taken a back seat. Despite going wedding dress shopping, Amy has repeatedly delayed her big day. CHANGING SHAPE Fresh issues were sparked after fans noticed her drastic weight loss. Amy recently came under fire after showing off her significant body overhaul and admitting she had lost two stone. The busy working mum then admitted she "can't stop being sick" just days after the weight loss backlash. Yet in a bid to put rumours of "fat jabs" to bed, Amy has finally opened up about her extreme weight loss, which has seen her shed two stone. Speaking to OK! Magazine, she said: "People don't know what is going on behind closed doors. 'I'm going through so much at the minute that the weight has fallen off me. I worry about my mum constantly. 'She's very emotional – she thinks she's going to have another heart attack. 'People think I'm not eating, but I do eat. To be honest, I do feel better when I'm a bit heavier than I am at the moment. 'There's so much going on at the minute – it's the result of pure stress." Addressing fans who had speculated she had used medication to shed the pounds she said: 'I just want to be clear that, as I've said before, I'm not using weight-loss injections." 5 5
Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Telegraph
NHS ‘to rely on migrants' as Government cuts British nurse training
The Government has cut funding for nursing courses in a move that risks undermining its pledge to end the NHS's reliance on foreign workers. Ministers have quietly frozen grants that are paid to universities to help them cover the higher costs of training medical workers. Critics reacted by warning that the move, which represents a real-terms cut, would ' worsen an already difficult situatio n' in the sector and 'leave us more reliant' on imported labour. It will also prompt fears of further cuts down the line, with education set to be one of the losers in Rachel Reeves's spending review this week. Universities are already struggling to keep nursing courses afloat, with research showing that many are cutting lecturer jobs to save cash. In last year's manifesto, Labour pledged to 'end the long-term reliance on overseas workers' with a 'workforce and training plan' for the NHS. However, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has now frozen grants which are paid to universities to cover the extra costs of running medical courses. Those include courses for nursing, midwifery and 'allied health professionals' such as paramedics, radiographers and occupational therapists. In a letter to the Office for Students, she said the per-student funding levels should be kept the same as last year, representing a real-terms cut. That is part of an overall reduction of £108 million in the cash that has been made available for the Strategic Priorities Grant this year. Patricia Marquis, the executive director for the Royal College of Nursing in England, said nursing courses were already under threat from the 'financial crisis' at universities. 'A freeze in per student funding, effectively a real-terms cut, could make a bad situation worse, resulting in not only more job losses, but impacting the very financial viability of nursing courses,' she warned. 'University courses are the single biggest route into the profession, and this would be a disaster. Additional funding should be released to protect nursing courses in response to rising costs.' 'A detrimental impact' on training Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, also warned that the cuts to the grant risked 'worsening an already difficult situation'. She said that the move, combined with a recent decision to slash cash for apprenticeships, would have a 'detrimental impact on training our healthcare workforce'. 'Universities are committed to delivering what this country needs, including a strong and sustainable NHS workforce, and are crucial to training talent,' she said. 'We can't create a future-proof NHS workforce without long-term, sustained investment from the government.' Ms Phillipson said in her letter to the OfS that universities should prioritise funding for nursing courses as 'a strategically important subject'. She targeted grants for other courses and in particular media studies and journalism, which have been derided by some as 'Mickey Mouse' degrees. But despite that, it appears there was still only enough money in the pot for her to restrict the hit to medical courses to a real-terms cut. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said the move was 'yet more evidence that Labour aren't serious about cutting immigration'. 'At a time when we should be training more British people to become nurses, they've cut teaching grants for universities and scrapped almost all higher-level apprenticeships, leaving an 11,000 shortfall in the NHS workforce plan,' she said. 'These decisions will leave us more reliant on foreign labour, when we should be training British people for British jobs.' The Department for Education is facing steep real-terms cuts to its budget when the Chancellor unveils her spending review on Wednesday. She will set out the annual funding totals that all Whitehall departments receive from next year until almost the end of the decade. Most are expecting to see their budgets squeezed to free up more cash for health and defence, which will be the two big winners. Within education, the schools budget is ring-fenced, meaning it cannot be cut. Early years provision, meanwhile, is a flagship Labour policy with the party pledging to fund the creation of 100,000 new nursery places. A Government spokesman said: 'We hugely value the work of talented nurses and midwives which is why we have prioritised Strategic Priorities Grant funding for important, high-cost courses, including nursing and midwifery, that are vital for economic growth and our Plan for Change. 'The dire situation we inherited has meant this Government must take tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing and we're continuing to support them, including by increasing the amount they can charge in tuition fees. 'We are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patient and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice, including by unveiling a refreshed workforce plan to ensure we have the right staff in the right place so the NHS can be there for everyone.'
