The number of middle-class teenage girls suffering from anxiety or depression has surged in the past decade with more than a third now experiencing symptoms of “psychological distress”.

A government study into the mental wellbeing of 30,000 teenagers, seen by The Times, found that girls were more than twice as likely as boys to suffer symptoms of mental ill health.

The proportion of girls with anxiety or depression has risen by 10 per cent in a decade. Those from more affluent and better-educated families had worse symptoms than those from less-advantaged backgrounds.

Experts said that the study provided the clearest evidence yet of a “slow-growing epidemic” of mental health issues in schools and called for a new strategy to reverse the trend. Some blamed the proliferation of social media in the past ten years, which prevents young people from “switching off” from the pressures of school and made them more insecure.

Others suggested that the global recession had put more pressure on young people to achieve, while reducing their confidence that they could control their own destinies.

The study, which was undertaken by the Department for Education and was one of the largest of its kind, involved in-depth interviews with thousands of children aged 14 or 15. It was based on a similar study carried out in 2005, allowing researchers to compare trends over time. It found that:

• Thirty-seven per cent of teenage girls had three or more symptoms of psychological distress, such as feeling unhappy, worthless, and unable to concentrate, compared with 15 per cent of boys. Instances of depression and anxiety in boys had fallen since 2005, but risen by about 10 per cent in girls.

• Both girls and boys from families whose parents were educated to degree level were 5 per cent more likely to experience symptoms of psychological distress than those who were not. Researchers said that some of the increase could be attributed to “pushy parents” and “peer pressure” but these factors were not wholly responsible.

• Since 2005 there had been a small but statistically significant change in young people’s belief that they could influence their destiny. This was most evident in households where at least one parent was out of work.

At the same time, however, there had been a marked decline in so-called risky behaviour among teenagers. Thirty per cent admitted in 2005 to drinking, but that had fallen to 12 per cent last year. Drug-taking had also nearly halved and truancy reports fell from 21 per cent to 11 per cent.

The researchers said that they were most struck by the rise in depression and anxiety among the cohort, who will continue to be studied as they finish their education. “While girls were already displaying greater levels of psychological distress than boys in 2005,” they wrote, “it is striking that their situation worsened between 2005-14.”

The report also highlighted class distinctions. “There may be some ways in which having lower social status may be associated with lower levels of expectation for school success and lower levels of associated pressure,” it said. “Another possible explanation is that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds may be more resilient in the face of [stress factors] associated with a more challenging economic and school environment.”

Last year The Times published its Time to Mind manifesto, calling for an immediate “state of the nation” study to be carried out to see how many children were suffering psychological problems and of what kind. It also sought investment in early intervention services.

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said that the charity had been contacted by head teachers worried about their schools. “There definitely does seem to be something happening — it’s a slow- growing epidemic,” she said. “Over the period covered by the report we have seen a very disturbing change in admissions to hospital for self-harm in under-16s that have gone up by 52 per cent.”

A government spokesman said: “We are putting a record £1.4 billion into transforming the dedicated mental health support to young people.”

Analysis:
Life appears much better for today’s teenagers than for those born only a decade earlier (Nicola Woolcock writes).

Teenage pregnancy rates, smoking and drinking are down. More than ever are going to university.

However, it may be this lack of risky behaviour and an innate ease with technology that is fuelling some mental health problems.

While no one would argue that heavy drinking and smoking or multiple sexual partners are good for mental health, they provided an outlet and a form of rebellion for previous generations.

If slip-ups for their parents were confined to hazy memories, now everything is recorded on social media.

Plus today’s serious generation is working harder than ever at schools — particularly girls.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a professor of cognitive neuroscience, told The Times: “It has been argued that risk-taking, in particular, is an important evolutionary behaviour.”

Now, with all the pressure that comes with everything being recorded for posterity, something has to give — and that is often mental health.

Source: thetimes.co.uk

Date Posted: Monday, August 22nd, 2016 , Total Page Views: 2751