Numbers Are Rising
The Numbers are rising.
I’m not talking about THOSE numbers.
I’m referring to the increase in mental health issues among our adolescent girls as a result of COVID-19. The statistics are staggering:
80% of adolescent girls feel “more lonely and isolated than before” (The Rox Institute). This is especially troublesome, because loneliness is associated with an increase in both anxiety and depressive symptoms in youth (The Jed Foundation, August 2020).
83% of teens with a history of mental illness said the pandemic was making their condition worse (The Lancet, April 2020).
COVID-19 is affecting the mental health of children and adolescents; depression and anxiety are prevalent. (Psychiatric Times, New Findings About Children’s Mental Health During COVID-19, October 2020.)
Social isolation, more screen time, less play time - all feeding the sense of loneliness at a time when belonging is so important to adolescent girls. This is in addition to the already prevalent mental health issues that are impacting the majority of our youth.
As parents, we naturally want the best for our children and there are steps we can take to help our children on the journey of mental well-being. The following are routinely cited as common ways to support young girls and their mental health:
One of the keys to mental well-being is a trusted relationship with a parent or an adult. The opportunity to engage in judgement-free, open discussion on difficult topics is vital to development.
Social and emotional skill development is critical. Parents are the primary model of emotional and social intelligence; how you respond and react is how you can expect your children to respond and react. However, there is more to emotional and social development than modeling. Kids need the opportunity to develop their skills, just like they do with reading and math. Helping kids to identify feelings, process their emotions and discover appropriate outlets are skills that will follow them into adulthood.
Positive peer relationships. Whether it’s one friend or a multitude of friends, a sense of belonging and companionship is critical for development during adolescence. As parents, do not try to social engineer friendships. Allow friendships to evolve naturally.
Finding purpose. Our youth are riddled with pressure and expectations at a young age. Helping kids to find purpose, beyond achievement, is critical to their emotional health. Encourage your daughter to explore what she’s interested in and provide ample opportunity to try - just for fun, no strings attached.
Physical activity. Parents play a big role in the adoption of physical activity. If parents are physically active, kids are more likely to be physically active. The benefits are aplenty and range from physiological (hormones) to emotional to physical. Physical activity doesn’t have to be ‘exercise’ or be done in a gym. Be creative and explore various forms of physical activity.
The numbers continue to rise during COVID. We cannot ignore this epidemic while we are experiencing the pandemic. Parents are a key to mental health in their children, but other resources are valuable and proven in the battle against the ‘numbers’.
BIO Girls bundles the 5 keys outlined above into a 12-week program proven to increase self-esteem, emotional well-being and physical well-being. BIO Girls is committed to decreasing the numbers - the number of girls suffering from mental health issues - by continuing to grow the impact of our proven, preventative programming.
Interested in bringing BIO Girls to your community or getting your daughter involved?
Learn more: www.biogirls.org.
