Experts are highlighting the 'worryingly high' rates of mental-ill health in young people after a new study revealed the prevalence of depression amongst teenage girls.

Researchers from the UCL Institute of Education and the University of Liverpool looked at data from over 10,000 children born in 2000-01 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study. They found that a quarter of 14-year-old girls and one in 10 boys of the same age are depressed.

The researchers also questioned parents to establish whether they were aware of the anxieties their sons and daughters faced. However, the14-year-olds' own reports of their emotional problems were different to their parents', who tended to underestimate the depressive symptoms reported by their children.

Parents recognised more boys with depressive symptoms than girls and because such a high number of girls were found to have high levels of depression, it suggests that some parents may not even realise their daughter is struggling with mental illness.

Dr Praveetha Patalay, the lead author of the study, said the research 'further highlights the worryingly high rates of depression'. Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children's Bureau, also described the figures as alarming.

'With a quarter of 14-year-old girls showing signs of depression, it's now beyond doubt that this problem is reaching crisis point,' Feuchtwang commented.

'Worryingly there is evidence that parents may be underestimating their daughters' mental health needs,' she added. 'Conversely, parents may be picking up on symptoms in their sons, which boys don't report themselves. It's vital that both children and their parents can make their voices heard to maximise the chances of early identification and access to specialist support.'

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Agenda Director @KatharineSJ responds to the new research showing 1/4 14 year old girls shows signs of depression https://t.co/9Me6DQIkaM pic.twitter.com/ryIDvzE6jE — Agenda (@Agenda_alliance) September 20, 2017

The study also found that 14-year-olds from better-off families were less likely to have high levels of depressive symptoms compared to those from poorer homes and at every age, the prevalence of behaviour problems was slightly higher in boys than in girls.

The authors say that for the first time, comparisons can now be made between the symptoms children themselves report and what their parents report, although further research is needed to understand these differences and what they mean for the teenagers later in life.

Charities like Young Minds are leading the campaign to make a difference to young people's mental health by sharing their priorities with the government. These recommendations include investment in additional funding for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and a change in the education system to focus on emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Find more information and support on mental health conditions affecting young people at youngminds.org.uk.

From Cosmo UK

Katie Frost Senior Editor Katie Frost is Deputy News Editor in the Newsroom, covering lifestyle, travel, food, celebrity and royals-related content.

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