A young womans world can be seen like a series of circles, each one influencing the next. At the centre is the girl herself her thoughts, feelings and personal struggles. Around her are her relationships with family and friends, her school and her community. And then a society fraught with inequality and impossible expectations.
Our team of researchers used this framework to make sense of the ways those circles of influence affect the mental health of South Africas teen girls and young women in two communities with high rates of HIV, early pregnancy and school drop-outs.
What they shared with us revealed how stress doesnt just come from one place it hits from every angle. But they also told us how despite all the challenges, they are keeping it together.
Intodays newsletter, Tanya Pampalone asks why our girls are so stressed.Sign up for our newsletter today.
Think of a young womans world like a series of circles, each one influencing the next.
At the centre is the girl herself her thoughts, feelings and personal struggles. Around her are her relationships with family and friends, and with school and the community. And then theres the bigger picture: a society fraught with inequality and impossible expectations.
Our team of researchers used this framework to make sense of the ways those circles of influence affect the mental health of South Africas teen girls and young women.
The data is limited, but what we do know shows numbers that are staggering. A 2022 study of learners in the Western Cape found that one in three were experiencing symptoms of depression, while research in Mpumalanga showed that just over a quarter did with girls far more likely to be depressed than boys of the same age.