New research dives deep into the minds of teenage girls
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Sad girl sitting on the floor in corner of room
A new study has revealed teenage girls’ own views on why low mood and anxiety is increasing
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
In a new study, teenage girls have opened up about why anxiety and low mood are soaring among their generation.
Researchers at the University of Manchester spoke with more than 30 girls aged 16 to 18 in England about their own views on why their age group is experiencing higher rates of anxiety.
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Research suggests mental health problems are on the rise in young women, with girls twice as likely to report depression than boys from mid-adolescense onwards, the authors of the study say.
The study shines a spotlight on the common struggles of teenage girls, with the research revealing that many girls feel low mood and anxiety is ‘normal’ for their age.
But what do they think is fuelling this? The teens identified a number of layered and interconnected factors.
Gendered expectations
The participants said that girls their age face pressure to conform to "narrow and gendered" stereotypes, particularly when it comes to how they look.
One girl said: “One of the main reasons [for low mood and anxiety] might be the media, because there’s quite a large focus on women’s appearance and also personality, especially compared to the men.”
Another added: "You’re sort of performing…you have to look a certain way, and smile, or if you don’t smile, you get told to smile."
The study found this pressure to adhere to specific standards can lead to "feelings of insecurity and worthlessness".
a child using a mobile phone.
The study found that teen girls feel pressure to conform to gendered stereotypes seen in the media
(Image: PA)
The authors wrote in the study: "This pervasive messaging of gendered expectations, and the ways that narratives around gender and women permeate day-to-day life, was framed as having a profound impact for adolescent girls.
"Participants explored how expectations become normalised and unconsciously internalised, leading to feelings of insecurity and becoming deeply bound up with one’s identity, self-concept, and self-worth."
Educational pressures
The study also found that girls report "intense academic pressure" to achieve good grades from teachers, parents, and also implied within systems, "with no room for mistakes".
Some even felt that educational pressure is greater for girls. "If a boy fails, then, you know, it’s not that bad, but I feel like if a girl does, it means a lot more," one participant said.
Group of young students in uniform working from text books at school
One participant noted feeling pressure in 'male-dominated' classrooms
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Another noted the pressure she felt taking "male-dominated" STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. She said: "If you’re in a male-dominated classroom and you’re getting the worst results, it kind of…you just feel like you take all of that on yourself and you just feel like you’re letting down other women."
Friendships
The participants noted that comparison, competition, and conflict in friendships also has a profound effect on their mood and wellbeing.
Some girls spoke of a "competition of comparison" among teen girls. "It became a competition to see if you could eat the least at lunch basically," said one participant. "So it was a whole table of girls all with tiny little plate of salad on their plate and then if you didn’t join in with that you felt like you were being judged, because you were sat there eating pasta or something, and someone was like ‘oh my gosh that’s so much carbs, you’re going to get fat'"
The authors said the rise in poor mental health among young girls could be "self-perpetuating" in friendships. One participant said: "If the numbers of young teenage girls who are having bad mental health or just low mood or anxiety then, if they’re going up […] it’s just going to kind of like bounce off each other."
Social Media
The teens also suggested that visual social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can amplify insecurities, particularly through comparison with other girls their age or 'influencers'.
Some girls said they struggled with the "unrealistic" standards set by social media, where people only tend to post a highlight reel of their lives. One girl said: "You see these people with perfect lives and the perfect house and a perfect face."
social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp
Teen girls reported that social media can worsen their insecurities
(Image: PA)
Another added: "You only see the best bits of people’s lives and sometimes that is really hard to separate out."
The authors concluded in the research paper: "The study offers a critically important contribution to evidence on gendered inequalities in low mood and anxiety, drawing attention to the interwoven and complex nature of girls’ lives and illuminating various aspects that would benefit from greater research."
Dr Ola Demkowicz, lead researcher of the study, said: "The insights we gained through exploration with girls themselves hold policy and practical relevance to enhance systems to meet girls’ needs.
"Our study suggests a need for schools and communities to challenge gender stereotypes, address academic pressures, support healthy peer relationships and promote responsible social media engagement."
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The study was published in the journal BMC Women's Health.