Expectation vs Reality: Teenage girls' mental health on thin ice

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" Constant scrutiny, filtered faces and unrealistic expectations plague the life of a teenage girl today. The pressure to be perfect in all aspects of life affects their mental health negatively, causing them to break rather than bloom.

And a recent research published in the journal Educational Review, confirms the fact that the pressure to be perfect causes mental health problems in teenage girls. The study also found that cultures in schools and at home contribute to anxiety in girls from all backgrounds.

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For the study, experts analysed a collection of relevant peer-reviewed qualitative literature published between 1990 and 2021, containing 11 studies in all, to reach these conclusions.

As per the findings, older teenage girls are at a greater risk of developing mental health difficulties than boys. The sense of competition among girls to live up to each other's achievements also contribute to mental health issues, especially in all-girls schools, researchers concluded.

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