Mental Health Support
10 Mar 2022

A recent study examined mental health among secondary pupils pre-and post-pandemic and revealed a stark divide between girls’ and boys’ social and emotional wellbeing with some worrying trends, particularly among girls.

Many girls are hiding deep mental distress from their parents and teachers – and there is a growing gulf between girls suffering from poor mental health compared to boys of the same age.

The report by STEER Education and Minds Ahead examined the mental health of secondary school students before and during the pandemic to assess its impact on young people’s mental health. It analysed online responses from 15,000 students across 92 state secondary schools, twice a year, from before the Covid-19 pandemic to December 2021.

The responses revealed that many girls are going to great lengths to hide and conceal signs of mental distress, making it harder for parents, teachers and educational staff to identify and recognise the signs and get them help.

Before the pandemic, the report found that 60 per cent of secondary school girls were hiding signs of mental distress. However, now a massive 80 per cent of girls are hiding their distress.

The survey also revealed that girls aged 11 are 30 per cent more likely to suffer from poor mental health than boys of the same age, with this trend continuing and even getting worse at age 18. Girls of 18 years old were more than twice as likely than boys of the same age to experience poor mental health.

Additionally, girls are 33 per cent more likely to suffer from poor mental health now compared to before the pandemic. Unhealthy perfectionism and extreme self-control were reported among secondary school girls at a rate of 20 per cent pre-pandemic compared to 35 per cent now.

Whilst the report reveals the increasing disparity between secondary school age girls suffering with poor mental health in comparison to boys of the same age, the report also exposes an increase in the number of boys suffering from poor mental health – with boys found to be 12 per cent more likely to experience poor mental health now than before the pandemic.

Both boys and girls were found to be 40 per cent less trusting of others, 25 per cent less likely to take risks and 25 per cent less able to able to respond appropriately to everyday challenges now compared to before the pandemic.

The publishers of the report, STEER Education and Minds Ahead, worry that many schools and educational facilities may, through no fault of their own, only notice a small number of the students in need of mental health support and assistance. The publishers further note that only a fraction of students needing assistance may be identified because of inadequate detection methods and a lack of training.

Simon Atwis, senior education consultant for STEER Education, said: “This report on the current state of young people’s mental health shows that we should be particularly alarmed by the state of girls’ mental health in secondary schools – it is at a precipice and the pandemic has exacerbated a worrying trend we have seen now for many years.”

If you are struggling with your mental health, you can find local sources of support on this website.