I prefer the term “vigilant” over “paranoid,” but I worry about depression – a lot. With 3 daughters, it’s a personal worry. With thousands of female adolescent patients, it’s also a professional worry.
Why do I worry?
📌 It’s common. Among teens, 1 in 7 will have a diagnosis of depression, but less than half will get treatment.
📌 It’s tricky. Depression can look different in teens than in adults, and they’re great at camouflaging their symptoms.
📌 Girls are particularly at risk. After puberty, depression is almost 3 times more common in girls than boys.
📌 It shows up early. Among adults with depression or anxiety, over half of them had symptoms by age 14.
And my biggest fear? 😱
It’s not the diagnosis of depression, it’s that the depression goes UNTREATED, because treatments are very effective, especially when started promptly after the onset of symptoms. But if it’s not treated, long-standing depression can lead to other serious health problems and lifelong struggles.
So the obvious question is, “Can we PREVENT depression in the first place?”
There’s actually some good news.
- When we equip children with emotional coping skills, mindfulness practices, and mental wellness awareness, we can reduce the occurrence of both anxiety and depression. Girlology has lots of tips and discussions in the app to guide you and help her with those skills.
- When we give girls a new way to think about their body without defaulting to the way it looks as a source of happiness, we can help them build a foundation that prioritizes their experiences and abilities over appearances. That helps reduce body dissatisfaction which is a big trigger for anxiety in many girls. Watch for Girlology’s new body image class for girls – it will do exactly that (arriving Oct 1 for members!).
- When we destigmatize mental health care is also a way to reduce the consequences of mental health struggles. Make sure she knows that caring for her mental health and getting help when there’s a problem is just as important and necessary as taking care of her body and getting treatments when she’s physically sick.
Obviously, genetics matter, and some things are just not in our control, however there are definitely some steps you can take to protect her mental health now and in the future. This tip will get you started.
As vigilant moms, we need to be well-prepared to recognize depression symptoms and know what to DO (or not do) to support her, get it treated, and help our girls thrive.
Become a member of Girlology to have an all-access pass to the support you’ll need to help your child grow up confident and informed!
Get Girlology on google play or in the app store.
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