Childhood stress, trauma and synapse loss

A new book release from Professor (Emeritus) Maxwell Bennett AO, Chair of TBMH Board of Directors, shows how our children are in jeopardy of growing up with mental illness and the consequences of this for their adult lives.

Max Bennett is an internationally-recognised expert in the field of neuroscience, having authored over 300 papers concerned with research on synaptic connections between nerve cells in the brain, and has written 14 books on synapses as well as on the philosophy of mind and brain.

His new book begins with the story of a child growing up in Australia, and this narrative forms the backbone of the book. Through subsequent chapters, the story of his development reveals to the reader just how much the environment we grow up in as children determines our capacity to enjoy life as we mature.


"I wrote this book in order to show how our children are in jeopardy of growing up with mental illness and the consequences of this for their adult lives. This can also help parents to understand and appreciate the extent of their responsibilities for the future happiness of their children."

Prof Bennett's extensive experience and credentials in this field include tenure as President of the Australian Neuroscience Society as well as of the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, the leading world group for the study of the nervous system associated with our emotional life.

Over the past 20 years he has driven the initiation and establishment of Institutes and foundations devoted to achieving the best outcomes in mental health for the Australian community. These include the Brain & Mind Research Institute (now Centre) at Sydney University as well as the Mind & Neuroscience Thompson Institute (now Thompson Institute) at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

He has brought synergy to the areas of brain and mind research and between disciplines in psychiatry, neurology and neuroscience, ensuring that they are embedded in outreach programs to the community.

"One of the key takeaways I hope to impart with this book is underscoring the extent to which our organisations, TBMH and BaMH, are equipped with the knowledge and methodology to ameliorate mental illness of both children and adults."

Our team of mental health specialists is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of excellence in mental healthcare and implementing the latest research and understanding into our approaches to deliver world-leading care for those who seek support.