One in four teenage girls believe they are suffering from depression, according to a major study by University College London.

The research which tracked more than 10,000 teenagers found widespread emotional problems among today’s youth, with misery, loneliness and self-hate rife.

Charities said girls were facing a huge range of pressures, fuelled by social media, with parents far likely to detect problems in their sons, where levels of unhappiness were lower.

In total, 24 per cent of 14-year-old girls reported high levels of depressive symptoms.

When parents were asked about their daughters, just 18 per cent described such signs.

Nine per cent of boys reported such mental health problems. But parents felt they had seen such symptoms in 12 per cent of boys, according to the study, published with the children's charity the National Children's Bureau (NCB).

Lead author Dr Praveetha Patalay said the mental health difficulties faced by girls had reached “worryingly high” proportions.

Anna Feuchtwang, NCB chief executive said: "This study of thousands of children gives us the most compelling evidence available about the extent of mental ill health among children in the UK.

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