To honor Women’s History Month, we want to offer support for girls, who continue to face specific challenges that undermine their emotional wellbeing. During adolescence, girls are already at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression than boys. And to add insult to injury, the pressures of social media often have a negative impact on their self-esteem — leading to a sharp increase in young women reporting alarming levels of unhappiness.

This week at childmind.org, we also take a look at how girls are affected by two disorders that have always been thought to be more prevalent in boys — autism and ADHD. Experts now believe they affect girls in equal numbers, but girls aren’t getting diagnosed because their behavior is a little different from the stereotype of boys with ADHD and autism. That means they struggle without support that could make a big difference in their lives. And finally we discuss why girls often feel the need to apologize — and how to help them build the healthy self-esteem and confidence that will allow them to grow into strong, resilient women.

– Caroline Miller, Editorial Director | ✉