A recent study led by Dartmouth College has uncovered concerning trends in youth mental health, indicating a significant decline in the mental health of girls and women. Traditionally, mental well-being has followed a U-shaped curve over time, rising in youth, declining in middle age, and then rising again later in life.
However, this pattern is rapidly changing due to a decline in youth mental health, particularly among girls, which began approximately 15 years ago.
Factors Responsible For Decline in Mental Health of Girls and Women
The study suggests that the proliferation of social media and increased internet usage may be contributing factors to this decline. Researchers, including prominent mental health scholar Jonathan Haidt, have argued that platforms like Instagram, which was founded in 2010, foster comparison and public judgment, leading to increased self-consciousness among young girls.
Data shows a significant increase in daily hours spent online and smartphone usage, closely aligning with the rise in mental health issues among youth since 2010. Notably, while both male and female youth have experienced an uptick in mental health issues, the rise among girls has been much steeper.
Suicide rates among individuals aged 15-24 have risen noticeably since around 2010, with females surpassing males in recent years—an unusual trend. Moreover, feelings of despair among this age group have risen considerably for both sexes since 2009, with females starting at a higher baseline and experiencing a slightly sharper increase.
Historically, women under 25 had lower rates of despair compared to older demographics, but this began to change in 2010, surpassing despair rates for other female age groups by 2018. Despair rates for males under 25 also increased starting in 2009, approaching levels seen in older male demographics since 2017. Overall, despair rates for women across all age groups remain higher than those for men.
While factors such as the Great Recession and Covid shutdowns may have contributed to these trends, the study emphasizes that they merely exacerbated existing issues. Randomized trials restricting smartphone access have shown increased well-being, indicating a potential correlation between technology use and mental health.
In response to these findings, some states are considering measures to restrict childhood access to social media platforms, citing concerns about the impact on mental health.
However, these efforts have faced resistance from the tech industry. Researchers conclude that addressing the connection between social media and mental health is crucial, posing the question of what actions should be taken to mitigate its negative effects.
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