Since the CDC’s biennial report was released this February showing that 57% of teen girls reported feeling feeling “persistently sad or hopeless,” the highest rate in a decade, many grownups have weighed in on the cause. NBC News decided to ask nine teenage girls what’s really behind the wave of sadness teen girls are collectively experiencing. In an article on NBCNews.com, high school girls “pointed to what they see as unique stressors their generation faces, which combined have led to the observed spike in depression.”

Here’s an excerpt of what they said:

On being heard

“Some adults are really open to those kinds of conversations, but most adults sort of make you feel like you’re just another teenager complaining about insignificant issues when ‘there are more important things to worry about.’ It’s just frustrating how we are rarely ever taken seriously when it comes to issues that we care about.” – Marwa Sahak, a 16-year-old living near California’s central coast

On teens talking more about mental health, reducing the stigma

“Mental health is something I discuss with a lot of my friends. A lot of the people I surround myself with, especially girls … a lot of people are open to talking about their mental health, which could be part of the reason we’re seeing an increase in depression and sadness.” – Emelia Martin, 17, of Lewis Center, Ohio

“I don’t think I was very surprised at all [by the CDC report]. We’ve been — I wouldn’t say obviously sadder — but I think there’s been more room for us to address that sadness.” – Jacqueline Metzger, a 17-year-old high school senior in Washington, D.C.

On teens feeling trapped in a cycle of comparison on social media, especially around physical appearance and body image

“I didn’t even know what a side profile was until TikTok [started a trend in figuring out if you have a ‘good profile’]. There are other trends and a lot of things on social media that really make people, girls especially, feel insecure about their appearance.” – Marwa Sahak

“Your body is changing in and of itself at this time, and to add the stressors of society and men putting you into boxes … it isn’t talked about as much as it should be.” – Omalina Wolfe, 18, who recently started college in Syracuse, NY

On the pandemic’s impact on teen mental health

The NBC News article noted that “although feelings of sadness among teen girls have trended upward in CDC survey results since 2013, nearly every teenager interviewed said the pandemic played a role in their feelings of despair.”

“I’m an extrovert, and so, being isolated, it really threw me off. My depression got a lot worse,” Martin said. “Getting back into the groove of going to in-person school my junior year was a real learning curve. It just made things worse.” – Emilia Martin

On finding support with what you’re going through

“It was kind of hard to open up to my parents [who immigrated from Vietnam], because they didn’t really understand the gist of mental health.”

“People are more open to sharing their stories [in peer groups like the one Diep started] and they know out there, someone is struggling — or was struggling — just like you.” – Christina Diep of Villa Park, CA

To learn more about the stressors teen girls face in their own words, read the full article here.

Rosenblatt, Kalhan. “What’s really behind the wave of sadness among teenage girls? We asked 9 of them.” NBCNews.com, 23 Feb 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/health/mental-health/cdc-report-teen-sadness-girls-respond-rcna71073.

Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash