Why are girls achieving but not thriving?
At Flourish, we often get asked why we choose to work specifically with girls. There are of course many reasons for this decision, not least, the fact that today’s generation of girls are facing multiple challenges, and it’s increasingly having a negative impact on their mental health. We want to change this and help the young women of today to reach their full potential.
Girls are achieving
“When it comes to formal learning, females outperform males at every level and every age group, from the early years through to Sats, GCSEs, A-levels, university admissions and degree classifications.” (1)
There’s a lot of speculation about why this is the case, from more female role models in schools, through to gender differences around how they approach their schoolwork. But, while this in itself raises questions, there’s another cause for concern that can’t be ignored.
The mental health of young girls is suffering
According to the WCC Directors of Public Health Annual Report 2020/2021, the likelihood of young women (aged 17 to 22 years) having a probable mental disorder is 27.7% - double that of young men.
To reinforce this, we’ve seen a huge (125%) increase in the referral of girls to Flourish support in the 2021/2022 school year compared with 2020/2021. The risk level of these referrals has also increased, meaning more immediate support has been required to help these girls.
The statistics speak for themselves
Of the girls who have been referred:
● 79% had low self-esteem
● 47% had self-harmed
● 42% had experienced anxiety
● 27% experienced suicidal thoughts
● 21% had social worker involvement
The reality is, immense pressure is placed on young women today and to top it off, many are dealing with multiple unmet needs, ranging from discrimination and abuse to lack of support or poor emotional well-being, not to mention the effects of the increase in technology usage and social media.
Clinical psychologist Dr Miranda Wolpert who founded the Evidence Based Practice Unit (dedicated to bridging research and practice in youth mental health), says that there needs to be a model of intervention that’s both personalised to the individual and can improve resilience, involving the wider community.
Some women develop depression in their teenage years, as they face increasing pressure from their peers and society to look and act a certain way, making this a tough time in their life. (2) It’s essential that they have someone to open up to about these pressures.
That’s why at Flourish our approach offers exactly that – working alongside schools and the local community, we provide a safe , supportive space for girls to talk about their pressures and concerns, so together we can create a newfound confidence and stronger emotional resilience for young women.
We work with girls because we have years of experience and know we can make a difference to their lives. We want to give them their best chance.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with their mental health, you can find support and resources in our hub or contact us today to see how we can help you.
