Emotional problems in English girls ‘on the rise’

A new study has indicated a sharp rise in the number of schoolgirls at risk of emotional problems.

Conducted by University College London and published in the Journal of Adolescent Mental Health, the research looked at results from questionnaires completed by 1,600 pupils aged 11 to 13 in 2009, comparing them with similar surveys conducted five years later.

It was found that the number of girls reporting emotional issues had spiked by seven percent during this period, while boys' response rates remained broadly the same.

Though social, peer and behavioural problems remained relatively constant for both genders, it was suggested that some issues are affecting females increasingly disproportionately, including unrealistic body images perpetuated by social media, and the sexualisation of young women.

The report also indicated that recent cuts to mental health service budgets may have played a role in this.

Sarah Brennan, of the charity YoungMinds, said: "This research is shocking further concrete evidence of the serious and worsening state of children and young people's mental health in this country."