News U Can Use: Middle Years Girls at Higher Risk of Depression”

Until the age of 12 or 13, girls and boys experience roughly equal rates of depression. This changes dramatically by age 13, as at that point, girls are twice as likely as boys to become depressed. 

This 2:1 ratio is present throughout adolescence and adulthood, so that one of the highest risk factors for depression is being female! So what is going on for girls around age 13? And why do early adolescent pressures affect girls so much more than boys? Part of the reason is the way that girls respond to the problems, stress, and tumultuous change that is swirling around them. They don’t always know the best way to cope effectively with their strong emotional reactions and to the many conflicts that emerge at this age. 

Consider five key differences that increase girls’ risk for depression... 

(READ THEM AT “PSYCHOLOGY TODAY)