Teenagers are experiencing more depression and anxiety than they did a decade or more ago, with doctors reporting an increase in the most serious and difficult cases.
A review of 19 studies conducted across 12 countries has found the majority showed a deterioration in the mental health of teenage girls when it came to depressive and anxious symptoms, with some finding between 30 and 50 per cent of teenage girls were experiencing the symptoms.
The research, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, also found an increase in anxiety and depression among teenage boys, although overall rates were lower.
Study leader William Bor said it was likely a number of changes that had come with the new century were having a negative impact negatively impacting on teenagers’ mental health.