Anxiety & Depression In Adolescent Girls

Anxiety and depression in adolescent girls are normally more than in boys. Its signs and symptoms include a change in physical and mental health from the teenager’s previous attitude and behaviour that can cause a significant amount of distress and problems at school and also in the home, in social activities.

However, the ongoing pandemic made a deep impact on their physical and mental health. They have been captivated in the home for a long time( about 2 years). As a result, classes were going on in online mode. Recently some classes are permitted to continue offline. So the students of upper classes are getting some space to interact with their teachers and classmates.

Anxiety and depression in adolescent girls of upper classes:

However, these sections of upper-class students, mainly girls are in adolescence. So their emotions and behaviour are changing now. Though these changes vary from person to person.

What are the changes in their behaviour to be seen?

The changes are as follows:
• Feeling loss of interest or pleasure in regular activities.
• Low self-esteem • Feelings of sadness
• Frustration or feeling of anger, even over small matters. • Irritable or annoyed mood.
• Feeling loneliness. • Loss of interest in, or conflict with family and friends. • Feeling of worthlessness or guilt • Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure. • Trouble thinking • lack of concentration • Delay in decision-making and remembering things. • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide • Fixation on past failures or self-criticism. • Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim.

On the other side, they are passing through with some behavioural changes. These are the following changes:

1. Social isolation is the main feature of the adolescent
2. Less attention to personal hygiene
3. Agitation and restlessness
4. Tiredness and loss of energy
5. Changes in appetite. It can be decreased
or increased, mostly craving for food
6. Sleeping too much or less
7. Poor school performance
8. Angry outbursts, disruptive
9. Slowed deliberation, thinking and expression
10. Use of drugs or alcohol
11. Suiciding tendency

Anxiety and depression in adolescent girls:

Depression in adolescent boys and girls, mainly girls will have a noticeable change in their thinking and behaviour. The most common symptoms of depression are sadness for no apparent reason most of the time they usually have no motivation. They used to close the door of the bedroom after school or college and stay in their room for hours.

Another noticeable thing is, they have a change in eating habits. Generally, they awake up to midnight. I have seen it in my home. My daughter is going through this period. We have tried our best to remove this habit, but unfortunately, couldn’t.
She is accustomed to go to bed at midnight, either busy in gossiping with their friends, or doing some hobbies up to midnight. Within this period she used to take some light foods.

Here are more signs of depression in adolescents even though they may or may not show all signs.

Some signs of depression in adolescents I have already described.

Here are more a few:

No. 1 is apathy. Then excessive or inappropriate guilt is in mind. Next, Irresistible behaviour. • Another is loss of memory.• Rebellious behaviour • Preoccupation with death and dying • Sudden drop in grades. • Promiscuous sexual activities.• Another symptom is withdrawal from friends. • Unexplained crying. • Complain of pains, including headaches, stomach aches, low back pain or fatigue.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls:

According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will have experienced an anxiety disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily.

While we don’t know for sure, several factors could be contributing to anxiety and depression in adolescents. In addition to genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events, consider the following:

• High expectations and pressure to succeed
• A World that feels scary and threatening
• Social media is to some extent also responsible for it.

Why Adolescents are to face anxiety and depression?

Adolescence is a unique and formative year. Physical, mental or emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems.

Adolescents with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health and human rights violations.

Mainly girls are much more likely to be diagnosed with those mood disorders. Perhaps it could be because girls sometimes gain emotional maturity more quickly and may be more emotionally sensitive.

It’s a noticeable sign of both anxiety and depression than girls are withdrawing from things they enjoy.

They may start doing worse in school results. Sometimes it is seen that the girls dealing with depression may start eating or sleeping much more or much less.

Girls with anxiety often structure their lives around avoiding the things that they are afraid of, like new activities or social situations.

Adolescent girls might be moody in behaviour. These mood disorders can have negative impacts on friendships and academic success.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls :

It’s important to discuss that anxiety and depression often occur in the same teenager, and may need to be treated as two separate disorders.

Anxiety is more likely to occur without depression than depression without anxiety. The negative state of mind of a depressed teenager lends itself to uncertainty.

If we are not feeling good about ourselves, or have no confidence in ourselves, or are insecure or unsafe, anxiety may find fertile ground. It may also be because the regions of the brain affected by anxiety and depression are close together and mutually affected.

Depression in teenaged girls does not have one single definitive cause. Rather, people with this illness tend to have several biological, psychological and environmental risk factors that contribute to its development.

Biologically, depression is associated with reduced levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain and with an imbalance of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.

This emotional illness is associated with a decrease in the size of some areas of the brain, as well as increased activity in the other areas of the brain.

Females are more likely to get depression than males. It’s because of biological differences based on gender, as well as the differences in how girls and women are encouraged to interpret their environment and respond to it, and how they express themselves compare to men and boys.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls :

There is another cause related to it. It’s thought that at least a partially genetic contribution to the development of depression. Because children and adolescents with a depressed parents are up to four times more likely to develop the illness themselves.

Moreover, teen anxiety and depression disorders are somewhat associated with the stress of body changes, including the fluctuating hormones of puberty, as well as teen ambivalence towards increased independence, and with changes in their relationship with their parents, peers, and others.

Here are more signs of depression in adolescents even though they may or may not show all signs. Some signs of depression in adolescents I have already described.

Here are a few:

No. 1 is apathy. Then excessive or inappropriate guilt is in mind. Next, Irresistible behaviour. • Another is loss of memory.• Rebellious behaviour • Preoccupation with death and dying • Sudden drop in grades. • Promiscuous sexual activities.• Another symptom is withdrawal from friends. • Unexplained crying. • Complain of pains, including headaches, stomach aches, low back pain or fatiguee.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls:

According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will have experienced an anxiety disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily.

While we don’t know for sure, several factors could be contributing to anxiety and depression in adolescents. In addition to genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events, consider the following:

High expectations and pressure to succeed, A World that feels scary and threatening, media is to some extent also responsible for it.

Why Adolescents are to face anxiety and depression?

Adolescence is a unique and formative time: Physical, mental or emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems.

Adolescents with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health and human rights violations.

Mainly girls are much more likely to be diagnosed with those mood disorders. Perhaps it could be because girls sometimes gain emotional maturity more quickly and may be more emotionally sensitive.

It’s a noticeable sign of both anxiety and depression than girls are withdrawing from things they enjoy. They may start doing worse in school results.

Sometimes it is seen that the girls dealing with depression may start eating or sleeping much more or much less. Girls with anxiety often structure their lives around avoiding the things that they are afraid of, like new activities or social situations.

In addition, Adolescent girls might be moody in behaviour. These mood disorders can have negative impacts on friendships and academic success.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls :

It’s important to discuss that anxiety and depression often occur in the same teenager, and may need to be treated as two separate disorders.

Anxiety is more likely to occur without depression than depression without anxiety. The negative state of mind of a depressed teenager lends itself to uncertainty.

If we are not feeling good about ourselves, or have no confidence in ourselves, or are insecure or unsafe, anxiety may find fertile ground.

It may also be because the regions of the brain affected by anxiety and depression are close together and mutually affected.

Depression in teenaged girls does not have one single definitive cause. Rather, people with this illness tend to have several biological, psychological and environmental risk factors that contribute to its development.

Biologically, depression is associated with reduced levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain and with an imbalance of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.

This emotional illness is associated with a decrease in the size of some areas of the brain, as well as increased activity in the other areas of the brain.

Females are more likely to get depression than males. It’s because of biological differences based on gender. Moreover, the differences in how girls and women are encouraged to interpret their environment and respond to it, and how they express themselves compared to men and boys.

Anxiety and depression in Adolescent Girls :

There is another cause related to it. It’s thought that at least a partially genetic contribution to the development of depression. Because children and adolescents with depressed parents are up to four times more likely to develop the illness themselves.

Moreover, teen anxiety and depression disorders are somewhat associated with the stress of body changes, including the fluctuating hormones of puberty, as well as teen ambivalence towards increased independence, and with changes in their relationship with their parents, peers, and others.

Read More: 1.To Avoid Depression-Why I’m Following A Perfect Diet 2.