Anonymous
02/20/2023 00:20
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous
02/20/2023 00:18
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Instagram.
Insta and are social media are literally causing this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/technology/meta-instagram-investigation-teens.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teen-suicide-social-media-bullying-mental-health-contributing-to-rise-in-deaths/
The evidence is overwhelming.
True. My friend’s daughter was suicidal after bullying via Instagram.
No, she was suicidal because she was bullied and the bullying escalated to the social media. Even without social media she was being bullied. She needed to be removed from that school and get mental health treatment. Social media is a form of bullying but bullying was the issues. This is a parenting issue and instead of parents complaining about it they need to monitor their kids behavior, including on social media. Checked out parents are a huge issue.
I am not disagreeing that parents often look elsewhere for blame but in this case, really? And you realize most parents do not realize the extent to which their kids are being bullied? I feel like parents like you who are quick to shift the blame are in denial. Maybe blaming other parents gives you a little sense of security in a world where parents actually do not have complete control over what happens to their kids.
If your kids tell you they are bullied. Listen
Anonymous
02/20/2023 00:17
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:If you don’t have a teen daughter struggling, congratulations! You did it! You avoided all the things that cause girls to experience a mental health crisis. Your prize: you get to speculate on what causes these problems for all those other girls. Their parents, mostly the moms, for allowing Social media in their lives, for not paying enough attention, for pressuring them to get good grades. For you, this speculation is based on research studies you read - you get to be right no matter what you think because your daughter isn’t struggling. You win.
If your daughter is struggling - I see you. I am you. I’m fighting this battle alone in my house just as you are fighting it alone in yours. Sadly, there are so many of us. The people who aren’t in this fight don’t know or see it, and their ignorance and speculation just adds to the pain. I wish we could connect because this is excruciating.
Stop blaming social media. It’s not that simple.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 21:08
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
If you don’t have a teen daughter struggling, congratulations! You did it! You avoided all the things that cause girls to experience a mental health crisis. Your prize: you get to speculate on what causes these problems for all those other girls. Their parents, mostly the moms, for allowing Social media in their lives, for not paying enough attention, for pressuring them to get good grades. For you, this speculation is based on research studies you read - you get to be right no matter what you think because your daughter isn’t struggling. You win.
If your daughter is struggling - I see you. I am you. I’m fighting this battle alone in my house just as you are fighting it alone in yours. Sadly, there are so many of us. The people who aren’t in this fight don’t know or see it, and their ignorance and speculation just adds to the pain. I wish we could connect because this is excruciating.
If your daughter is struggling - I see you. I am you. I’m fighting this battle alone in my house just as you are fighting it alone in yours. Sadly, there are so many of us. The people who aren’t in this fight don’t know or see it, and their ignorance and speculation just adds to the pain. I wish we could connect because this is excruciating.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 17:51
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Let’s see.. DD is in 8th grade in a private.
The pressure is to get all As. If you get B, you are stupid.
I have a feeling parents are fuelling this competition.
The kids make fun of each other and trash talk about each other all the time.
They don’t see friends outside of school because the other parents have other preferences for their kids. They spend weekends in their rooms.
The main communication method is texting.
It’s a very poor life. Yes, these kids have expensive houses and cars, but they are in poverty for life experiences and have no control over their own lives.
It’s a miracle some of them are not depressed.
The pressure is to get all As. If you get B, you are stupid.
I have a feeling parents are fuelling this competition.
The kids make fun of each other and trash talk about each other all the time.
They don’t see friends outside of school because the other parents have other preferences for their kids. They spend weekends in their rooms.
The main communication method is texting.
It’s a very poor life. Yes, these kids have expensive houses and cars, but they are in poverty for life experiences and have no control over their own lives.
It’s a miracle some of them are not depressed.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 17:16
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:You are the ones creating this environment for the kids.
You are the ones who create pressure to succeed academically, you are the ones who are too busy to drive them to meet up with friends, you are the ones who are creating rat race to the selective colleges.
All social media posts about beauty, expense clothing, designer houses are created by women. Men don’t post this crap.
So let’s take a hard look at ourselves.
This is not the full story with social media, though. Kids are accessing suicide glorification and how-to guides on social media. I think someone already posted a link here, but it bears posting again:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/business/instagram-suicide-ruling-britain.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
It’s not just FOMO we’re talking about here. There are algorithmic whirlpools that kids can get caught in and they’ll just go deeper and deeper into some really disturbing stuff. TikTok is full of teen girls listing their myriad mental illnesses, diagnosing themselves with one thing after another, and they get tons of positive reinforcement for it.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 17:04
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
MY DD knows 3 closed friends that were in the mental Hospital in the past year. One of them is nom binary and 2 girls.
They are just kids that hanged out with my DD and did sleepovers so yeah I believe its 1/3
They are just kids that hanged out with my DD and did sleepovers so yeah I believe its 1/3
Anonymous
02/19/2023 16:34
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Girls put a lot more pressure on themselves academically. They have to, because they need more formal education just to make the same as men do as adults. Stats bear this out so don’t @ me.
No, stats don't.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 16:17
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Ok a few important points
1. Severe Mental health problems already affecting 20% of young people
Prior to the pandemic
2. The Pandemic gave rise to conditions that led to this rate of depression and suicide more than doubling.
3. The Pandemic did not have same degree of Impacts on all youth - upper middle class families were better able to insulate their kids through affording private schools that went in person much earlier and having more resources to do things like escape to the beach/ lake and get medical help. Vulnerable children and youth include those from poor and unstable Family units, youth with LDs/ autism and preexisting mental health conditions, BIPOC, and LGBTQ youth.
Kids’ mental health is in crisis. Here’s what psychologists are doing to help
Research is focused on child and teen mental health, exploring why they are struggling and what can be done to help them
By Zara Abrams
Date created: January 1, 2023
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-improving-youth-mental-health
The COVID-19 pandemic era ushered in a new set of challenges for youth in the United States, leading to a mental health crisis as declared by the United States surgeon general just over a year ago. But U.S. children and teens have been suffering for far longer.
In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness—as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors—increased by about 40% among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
“We’re seeing really high rates of suicide and depression, and this has been going on for a while,” said psychologist Kimberly Hoagwood, PhD, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. “It certainly got worse during the pandemic.”
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health What We Know So Far
Practicing Prevention and Building Resilience
Even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, mental health professionals were struggling to meet the needs of the one in five children and adolescents with a mental health or learning disorder. Then the pandemic hit, bringing an upsurge in youth reporting mental health challenges. In surveys now, about 30–40% of young people say they feel anxious, depressed and/or stressed. Parents tell the same story when asked about their kids.
The pace of disruption in our world is increasing, not slowing down. How can we reduce the mental health impacts of the next global public health crisis — and the remainder of this one?
The first step is to identify who is most affected. The Child Mind Institute has been devoted to tracking the impact of COVID-19 on youth and families since the first days of the pandemic. The research highlighted in the 2021 Child Mind Institute Children’s Mental Health Report demonstrates that the most negative impacts of the pandemic have been concentrated in uniquely vulnerable populations. Who are they? Poor kids. BIPOC kids. LGBTQ+ kids. Kids with unstable home lives. Kids with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression or ADHD — especially those who don’t get treatment. Kids with learning disabilities. Kids with autism.
The next step is determining how to help them weather the coming storms. We cannot solve the factors that contribute to risk — poverty, stigma, racism — all at once. Instead, we must focus on protecting at-risk youth and fostering their resilience. How?
Key Takeaways
The pandemic has had meaningful impacts on mental health, but not everyone has been affected to the same degree or in the same way.
Economic instability, living in an area hit harder by the virus, and preexisting mental health problems are some of the most notable risk factors for adults experiencing mental health challenges during the pandemic.
There is less information about children’s mental health specifically, but the available data indicate that many of the same risk factors apply.
However, research and historical context also suggest that young people are resilient and that many (especially those with fewer risk factors) will likely emerge from the pandemic without significant mental health challenges.
https://childmind.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CMHR-2021-FINAL.pdf
1. Severe Mental health problems already affecting 20% of young people
Prior to the pandemic
2. The Pandemic gave rise to conditions that led to this rate of depression and suicide more than doubling.
3. The Pandemic did not have same degree of Impacts on all youth - upper middle class families were better able to insulate their kids through affording private schools that went in person much earlier and having more resources to do things like escape to the beach/ lake and get medical help. Vulnerable children and youth include those from poor and unstable Family units, youth with LDs/ autism and preexisting mental health conditions, BIPOC, and LGBTQ youth.
Kids’ mental health is in crisis. Here’s what psychologists are doing to help
Research is focused on child and teen mental health, exploring why they are struggling and what can be done to help them
By Zara Abrams
Date created: January 1, 2023
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-improving-youth-mental-health
The COVID-19 pandemic era ushered in a new set of challenges for youth in the United States, leading to a mental health crisis as declared by the United States surgeon general just over a year ago. But U.S. children and teens have been suffering for far longer.
In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness—as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors—increased by about 40% among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
“We’re seeing really high rates of suicide and depression, and this has been going on for a while,” said psychologist Kimberly Hoagwood, PhD, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. “It certainly got worse during the pandemic.”
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health What We Know So Far
Practicing Prevention and Building Resilience
Even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, mental health professionals were struggling to meet the needs of the one in five children and adolescents with a mental health or learning disorder. Then the pandemic hit, bringing an upsurge in youth reporting mental health challenges. In surveys now, about 30–40% of young people say they feel anxious, depressed and/or stressed. Parents tell the same story when asked about their kids.
The pace of disruption in our world is increasing, not slowing down. How can we reduce the mental health impacts of the next global public health crisis — and the remainder of this one?
The first step is to identify who is most affected. The Child Mind Institute has been devoted to tracking the impact of COVID-19 on youth and families since the first days of the pandemic. The research highlighted in the 2021 Child Mind Institute Children’s Mental Health Report demonstrates that the most negative impacts of the pandemic have been concentrated in uniquely vulnerable populations. Who are they? Poor kids. BIPOC kids. LGBTQ+ kids. Kids with unstable home lives. Kids with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression or ADHD — especially those who don’t get treatment. Kids with learning disabilities. Kids with autism.
The next step is determining how to help them weather the coming storms. We cannot solve the factors that contribute to risk — poverty, stigma, racism — all at once. Instead, we must focus on protecting at-risk youth and fostering their resilience. How?
Key Takeaways
The pandemic has had meaningful impacts on mental health, but not everyone has been affected to the same degree or in the same way.
Economic instability, living in an area hit harder by the virus, and preexisting mental health problems are some of the most notable risk factors for adults experiencing mental health challenges during the pandemic.
There is less information about children’s mental health specifically, but the available data indicate that many of the same risk factors apply.
However, research and historical context also suggest that young people are resilient and that many (especially those with fewer risk factors) will likely emerge from the pandemic without significant mental health challenges.
https://childmind.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CMHR-2021-FINAL.pdf
Anonymous
02/19/2023 16:12
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Instagram.
Insta and are social media are literally causing this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/18/technology/meta-instagram-investigation-teens.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teen-suicide-social-media-bullying-mental-health-contributing-to-rise-in-deaths/
The evidence is overwhelming.
True. My friend’s daughter was suicidal after bullying via Instagram.
No, she was suicidal because she was bullied and the bullying escalated to the social media. Even without social media she was being bullied. She needed to be removed from that school and get mental health treatment. Social media is a form of bullying but bullying was the issues. This is a parenting issue and instead of parents complaining about it they need to monitor their kids behavior, including on social media. Checked out parents are a huge issue.
I am not disagreeing that parents often look elsewhere for blame but in this case, really? And you realize most parents do not realize the extent to which their kids are being bullied? I feel like parents like you who are quick to shift the blame are in denial. Maybe blaming other parents gives you a little sense of security in a world where parents actually do not have complete control over what happens to their kids.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 16:11
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Girls put a lot more pressure on themselves academically. They have to, because they need more formal education just to make the same as men do as adults. Stats bear this out so don’t @ me.
Anonymous
02/19/2023 15:57
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My teenage neighbor committed suicide a few years ago, and having witnessed the unspeakable anguish that the parents have dealt with, and will have to carry with them for the rest of their lives, it breaks my heart that some would think it was their fault. This is so incredibly complex and intertwined with lots of factors. For people to just point fingers is not helpful.
Yes the finger pointing is shameful.
We need to try and understand what is going on and open up communication channels in honest ways that feel safe for our girls.
Blaming moms is nuts when it is connected to so much outside their control - pandemic, social media run in unregulated unscrupulous ways due to corporate greed, online misogyny and over sexualization of girls/ women resulting in more sexual assaults , and decline in real life safe spaces and social situations for girls/ young women.
Absentee parenting is not working for most children. Parents need to be the primary caregivers early on, not daycares and nannies.
I did all of the theoretical perfect mom stuff - stopped work to care for kids, volunteered in every class/ school, ran a girls scout troop, organized endless play dates, and social get togethers, organized nice birthday parties, volunteered with our DD - we were still Hammered by the Pandemic, reduced healthy social interactions during critical time in development and social media toxicity. Our DD is on better path now but it is requiring a lot of therapy, medical treatment, and finding healthier ways to manage emotions.
I agree with PPs that this crisis is way larger than any one person’s parenting style.
Finger pointing is not helpful and not accurate.
This isn’t pandemic related. Be real. Kids struggle. Parenting plays a huge factor in it. Recognizing your child is struggling and get them help.
You seem to struggle With basic comprehension - as stated we got our daughter a lot of help and had earlier tried hard to do all the right things. She is making good progress but it has been a long hard road .
Many psychiatrists and pediatricians absolutely attribute much of this mental health crisis that is particularly heightened for girls to vastly reduced social interactions and vastly increased amounts of time spent online during the pandemic.
The stats speak for themselves .
Anonymous
02/19/2023 15:52
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You are the ones creating this environment for the kids.
You are the ones who create pressure to succeed academically, you are the ones who are too busy to drive them to meet up with friends, you are the ones who are creating rat race to the selective colleges.
All social media posts about beauty, expense clothing, designer houses are created by women. Men don’t post this crap.
So let’s take a hard look at ourselves.
TRUTH. Face it.
Yes to this, absolutely. And btw, throwing your ten year olds into your political viewpoints and shoving them down their throats instead of letting them grow into their own feelings about the world around them is ludicrous. I live in DC and I was shocked, severely shocked, by the number of angry elementary age girls both at the Women's March (you know which one I'm talking about) wearing pink pus.... hats and throwing their middle fingers up in anger in solidarity with older women. It was sickening, teaching them to be activists at this age, such a hard burden for them to live up to, and the anger on their little faces on the subway ride back to Bethesda, disheartening. I would never subject my daughter to something she was not emotionally ready for, I would not create that hate in her heart. I trust I can model a positive woman role for her without infusing her with my anger issues.
Really, the angry women trope? Pssst, just because women are out there protesting, and bringing their daughters and educating them, doesn't mean they are "angry" and certainly not angry for no reason. It's not creating "hate." It's educating them on their rights. It's speaking up. And FTR, the women at the Women's March are not and were not a monolith at the event or in society.
And surely, you understand that some people view teaching their girls to use their voices is a positive thing. And a positive role model. Just because your view of a female role model is rooted in the 1950's doesn't mean everyone's is. And I find your view on that point to be extremely sexist.
Big plus one
Anonymous
02/19/2023 15:51
Subject: Re:How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My teenage neighbor committed suicide a few years ago, and having witnessed the unspeakable anguish that the parents have dealt with, and will have to carry with them for the rest of their lives, it breaks my heart that some would think it was their fault. This is so incredibly complex and intertwined with lots of factors. For people to just point fingers is not helpful.
Yes the finger pointing is shameful.
We need to try and understand what is going on and open up communication channels in honest ways that feel safe for our girls.
Blaming moms is nuts when it is connected to so much outside their control - pandemic, social media run in unregulated unscrupulous ways due to corporate greed, online misogyny and over sexualization of girls/ women resulting in more sexual assaults , and decline in real life safe spaces and social situations for girls/ young women.
Absentee parenting is not working for most children. Parents need to be the primary caregivers early on, not daycares and nannies.
I did all of the theoretical perfect mom stuff - stopped work to care for kids, volunteered in every class/ school, ran a girls scout troop, organized endless play dates, and social get togethers, organized nice birthday parties, volunteered with our DD - we were still Hammered by the Pandemic, reduced healthy social interactions during critical time in development and social media toxicity. Our DD is on better path now but it is requiring a lot of therapy, medical treatment, and finding healthier ways to manage emotions.
I agree with PPs that this crisis is way larger than any one person’s parenting style.
Finger pointing is not helpful and not accurate.
This isn’t pandemic related. Be real. Kids struggle. Parenting plays a huge factor in it. Recognizing your child is struggling and get them help.
Many child psychiatrists and pediatricians strongly disagree with you
Anonymous
02/19/2023 15:14
Subject: How can 1/3 teen girls be suicidal?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You are the ones creating this environment for the kids.
You are the ones who create pressure to succeed academically, you are the ones who are too busy to drive them to meet up with friends, you are the ones who are creating rat race to the selective colleges.
All social media posts about beauty, expense clothing, designer houses are created by women. Men don’t post this crap.
So let’s take a hard look at ourselves.
TRUTH. Face it.
Yes to this, absolutely. And btw, throwing your ten year olds into your political viewpoints and shoving them down their throats instead of letting them grow into their own feelings about the world around them is ludicrous. I live in DC and I was shocked, severely shocked, by the number of angry elementary age girls both at the Women's March (you know which one I'm talking about) wearing pink pus.... hats and throwing their middle fingers up in anger in solidarity with older women. It was sickening, teaching them to be activists at this age, such a hard burden for them to live up to, and the anger on their little faces on the subway ride back to Bethesda, disheartening. I would never subject my daughter to something she was not emotionally ready for, I would not create that hate in her heart. I trust I can model a positive woman role for her without infusing her with my anger issues.
Agree.