Depression isn’t specific to one gender, but during the teenage years, girls are at a much higher risk. A combination of factors is thought to lead girls to be overwhelmed and consequently deal with stress and depression.
Puberty hits you like a tonne of bricks, and before you know it, you have a fluctuation of emotions that you can’t control. These changes can be tough for all genders, but as well as all the physical and emotional changes, girls are thrown monthly spells of pain and emotional distress.
Girls tend to hit puberty earlier than boys, meaning depression is more likely to develop in girls at a younger age. It’s not this reason alone that teenage girls are more depressed, but this sudden change can have a big impact on their mental health.
It’s around this age that we begin to get more interested in social media, but with this statistic dropping to younger ages, are we all just throwing younger generations into a toxic environment for longer? Social media is not the only problem, but it does ass fuel to the fire. Kids begin to realise how much their appearance is judged by others which adds extra stress that can almost overpower the academic and social standards they’re already expected to meet.
This dark side of social media can cause major identity issues in teens. Unrealistic beauty standards are projected onto girls via multiple different platforms. But we’re all unique, so this ‘perfect and idealised’ image that kids are aiming for is unachievable. Not only are girls viewing this, but everyone has access to and is aware of these beauty standards. This adds extra stress to looking this way as other genders naturally begin to consider this a normal appearance. Rather than being happy in their skin, they slowly begin to notice things they normally wouldn’t and begin to tear themselves apart.
These unrealistic beauty standards that girls feel pressure to achieve can result in bad eating habits and consequently lead to eating disorders. Both illnesses are related, and it’s suggested that a lot of people at risk of eating disorders often suffer from depression.
Noticing any big changes in your daughter’s attitude, mood or weight can be important. By paying close attention, you can intervene early and prevent a mental illness from developing further.
