MH of teenage girls in Wisconsin has declined twice as much as boys'

Abstract

According to new data from the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health, 66% of young girls across the state are struggling with anxiety, and 50% feel sad and hopeless nearly every day, Wisconsin Public Radio reported Aug. 18. The report said the mental health of teenage girls has declined twice as much as boys' of the same age. “Girls are having some particularly troubling times right now,” said Linda Hall, director of the state office. Hall said this difference between genders can be explained by early sexualization of women, unhealthy social media use, cyberbullying and regularly seeing content about suicide and eating disorders. These triggers disproportionately affect women of color and LGBTQ teens. According to the report, 95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Reilly said that's because some young girls have a negative internal monologue comparing themselves to others. Gov. Tony Evers' proposed biennial budget had included more than $270 million to expand mental health services in schools. But the Republican‐led budget writing committee cut education‐related items, including the mental health funding. The governor later restored $30 million for mental health spending in schools through the veto process. “What the younger generation is experiencing now is something different than any adults have been through. So we really need to understand how they are viewing the world and what their ideas are about how we address this crisis,” Hall said.