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There is no shortage of possible reasons: over-parenting, screens and social media, academic and sports competition, political discord, social injustice, climate risk, gun violence and virtual education, among others. What is obscured when we lump all young people together, however, is that certain demographic groups are particularly vulnerable to psychological problems and may be treated disproportionately to the overall trend.
In my practice and that of my colleagues, girls between the ages of 10 and 14 are the girls who have struggled more than in the past. The belief has long been that middle school is the hardest time to get through, especially for girls, but a combination of recent societal and biological trends has created a perfect storm for both girls.
For example, a study of 10- to 15-year-old British girls found that behavior problems and life dissatisfaction were common. In this group of women, it increased more than men during the epidemic, compared to the period before the epidemic. Another study with Canadian and Australian girls reported more stress and anxiety than boys.
Next, the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health The percentage of girls ages 12 to 17 who experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year rose from 12 percent to 25 percent between 2010 and 2020. same season.
And Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers found that emergency room admissions are linked to self-harm It doubled for girls aged 10 to 14. Between 2010 and 2014, they remained largely unchanged for other demographic groups.
Longitudinal research shows that girls and boys do not differ significantly in initial levels of anxiety and depression. But it will be girls in middle schools More depression And somewhat more anxiety, and these differences continue into adulthood. What happens during this critical period that makes girls especially vulnerable?
“Adolescence is associated with stress, making girls vulnerable to depression, self-harm, and other psychological problems,” said Mitchell J. Prinstein, chief science officer of the American Psychological Association (APA) and author of thePopular: Finding happiness and success in a world that thinks too much about the wrong types of relationshipsHe said. “And the amount and variety of stress will increase in twenty years.”
of Hormonal and neurological changes during puberty It’s just related to anxiety Appearance, family, school, social life And extracurricular learning takes off. In the middle school years, research shows Girls generally tend to care more than boys How they fit into the world and what their peers think of them. And this is an area where they have some control.
“The parts of the female brain involved in social evaluation become more active during adolescence,” says Jennifer S. Silk, a professor of clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. “And the more active this part of the brain is, the more vulnerable a person is to depression, anxiety, and even suicide.”
At the same time, girls face the same pressure as boys with more demanding academics and, for example, sports demands in middle school. But studies show that often Take it more to heart A message that I must tell you about everything. The proportion of girls who say they are not allowed to fall between the ages of 12 and 13 It has increased from 18 to 45 percent..
Phyllis L. Fagel, clinical professional counselor, school counselor and author of “Middle School Matters: The two girls work hard to be perfect in all areas.” 10 key skills kids need to thrive in middle school and beyond—and how parents can help. Many are surprised to hear how harshly they judge themselves and how self-critical their inner dialogue is.
And girls often use less active coping strategies when faced with problems. While boys are distracted by physical activity and practical problem-solving, for example, previous studies have shown that girls often Focus on the problems and their negative feelings. This tendency to overthink and relive negative content alone or with a friend It becomes hot during puberty.
Perfection, Self-criticism. And Abuse All are, in turn, well-documented for depression and related mental health issues.
Social changes affect women more.
Adolescence has been Since earlier Among women in the last three decades; Men’s trend is much less. It’s not clear why this might be, but changes in diet, environmental toxins and stress have all been suggested. It seems that there is an epidemic It accelerated the trend.. Unfortunately, early puberty is associated with depression, anxiety, drug addiction and other psychological problems in girls.
The most frequently reported contributor to youth mental health problems is the use of technology. Although the general research on this link is inconclusive, some studies show that girls are similar Especially negative impact On social media.
After years of slow but steady growth in social media activity, today little Use it by 17 percent more than in 2019. Surprisingly, girls are more engaged in social networks, while boys play more video games. The problem is that girls’ high social media use affects them more strongly than boys. The more time you spend on Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok, the more likely you are Experience Depression, low self-esteem, poor body image, poor sleep and other mental health problems.
“In general, girls are more likely to engage in comparisons and affect interpersonal interactions. And those tendencies predispose them to depression,” Prinstein said. “Now those processes are greatly enhanced by social media.”
A JAMA Network study Published this year, with 84,011 participants between the ages of 10 and 80, the relationship between social media use and life satisfaction is more negative among teenage girls than any other demographic group. This finding suggests that this may be a crucial time when girls should stay away from social media as much as possible.
In addition to being toxic in itself, long hours of social media use prevent girls from engaging in behaviors that promote well-being, such as socializing with friends, sleeping, and exercising.
For example, eighth graders who hang out with their friends “almost every day.” He fell In the year About a quarter in 2015, up from more than 50 percent in the 1990s—and probably less now.
“What started before the outbreak was exacerbated by restrictions on social interactions and physical activity—school and activities,” said Deborah Roth Ledley, a clinical psychologist in Philadelphia.Stress work book for childrenHe said. “I’ve seen it hurt because girls have completely changed their social world online.”
Parents should be aware that, during adolescence, girls may need more support than before. A good place to start is to examine the level of stress that their daughters are feeling and, if necessary, help them to reduce the pressure or the number of planned obligations.
“Our study of girls at the beginning of the epidemic showed that, surprisingly, many were feeling more independent, had more time to sleep and relax,” Silk said. “We can see it as a silver lining to the epidemic, but also as a wake-up call that our girls are very stressed.”
We can counter girls’ perfectionism and self-criticism with self-pity.
“Be sure to model compassion for yourself by looking at how you treat yourself,” says Karen Blues, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel. Hill and author of the audiobook “Girls’ Self-Efficacy: A Guide for Parents, Teachers, and CoachesHe said. “And then ‘Is it always true?’ Help them question the validity of their own critical voice by asking. ‘Is it really true?’ ‘Are you sure without a doubt?’ “
When it comes to social media and frequently accessed smartphones, do your best to delay both until high school. “Give them a flip phone until they’re 14, and always have a screen until 9 p.m.,” Prinstein said. Online organization Wait until the 8th Can give useful tips.
Put the display policies together by creating a to get the little ones on board Family media planning. Then, if necessary, apply the results and go over it. Be sure to model healthy technology-related behaviors, such as having screen time and breaks, not sleeping on the phone, and chatting about what you see online.
Talk to your daughters about their values ​​and goals for using social media.
“Appeal to their belief in social justice to not be exploited by companies,” Fagel said. And discuss empathy – thinking about how your online engagement affects others. This strengthens their sense of agency and eliminates feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
Blues suggests inviting the two girls to experiment with social media, identifying the type of use (passive vs. active or interactive), the time (early in the morning, later in the evening, and later in the evening) and duration. After feeling.
“Ask them if they feel good, connected, purposeful, and if they feel bad about themselves, sad, anxious, lonely,” she says.
Finally, always keep the lines of communication open. Curious about girls’ lives; But don’t bother them with questions and don’t put pressure on them. Share your own middle school problems and struggles. And above all, listen.
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