Choate, L. H. (2014). Adolescent girls in distress: A guide for mental health treatment and prevention

Abstract

In the vastly interconnected modern world, everyone is vulnerable to increased scrutiny and judgment. Messages about ideal looks, attitudes, activities, and beliefs can travel through communities with an ease never known before. This increased ability to communicate places an enormous burden on adolescent girls. The expectation to conform to ‘popular’ ideas comes from all directions and permeates nearly every aspect of a young person’s life. Laura H. Choate’s remarkable book Adolescent Girls in Distress aims to pinpoint what these pressures are, illuminate how they affect the mental health of young women and ultimately, offer hints for preventing their potential negative impact. Choate begins the book by laying the framework for the body of the text. She addresses the ‘lived experience’ of an adolescent girl living in the information age. The author’s ecological approach to examining socialization processes increases our understanding of the role of media in shaping the expectations and values of young people. This analysis is then placed in the context of the different life transitions that occur in adolescence in the mental, physical, familial, and social domains. This exemplary explanation of the various forces acting upon adolescent girls allows the reader to place themselves in a contemporary young girl’s shoes. The text examines the overarching influences on young women imparted through mass media and communication channels. These are narrowed down to the following specific pressures: a need to be sexy, dueling requirements to behave both like a ‘diva’ and a ‘pushover’, using the internet for selfdiscovery, and meeting expectations to be perfect across all domains of life. These pressures are so well explained the reader does not need to have a strong background in the social sciences to grasp the difficulties societal forces present for the developing person. Each subsequent chapter is then devoted to a different psychological disorder that frequently presents in adolescent girls. This section conceptualizes the role of the previously mentioned pressures in the development of depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, self-injury, and complications from sexual trauma and dating violence. These chapters are specifically geared toward clinicians and parents, though they are useful for anyone working with young girls. Choate highlights the hallmark symptoms of each condition and offers concrete guidance for addressing the difficulties involved. Generous lists of resources specific to each area are also provided. Rather than solely explore what should be done post-diagnosis, Choate also examines methods to keep adolescent girls out of harm’s way. The final chapter focuses on resilience and prevention, the ultimate goal noted in the subtitle. Parents are given the greatest level of responsibility in modeling healthy coping skills to their daughters. Providers and caregivers must impart the knowledge young ladies need in order to combat the conflicting demands of society. These efforts to encourage proactive prevention should be lauded particularly for the emphasis on teaching media literacy skills, which are lacking in popular discussion. The author’s excellent organizational skills facilitate the understanding of a complex and confusing system of interactions. Her work is highly engaging, reads easily, and is the perfect length for fruitful examination. This conception is one of the most accurate depictions of adolescent turmoil, a breath of fresh air grounded in clinical experience. The author’s work as a licensed professional counselor has revolved around women and girls living with eating disorders and sexual trauma. Her experience as a professor teaching counselors of the * Sarah C. Robinson srobinson@alliant.edu