Girls' low self-esteem linked to depression

Affects them later in life, study says

These teens also prone to obesity

Low self-esteem in teenagers is more likely to lead to depression later in life for girls than for boys, according to a Statistics Canada report.

"Girls who have a weak self-concept during adolescence have a higher chance of being depressed in the next six years," said the study's author Jungwee Park. "Those girls also have higher odds of being obese."

While low self-concept in boys may lead to physical inactivity and obesity, Park said there wasn't a significant link with depression.

"The only common ground is obesity," Park said of the findings, which suggest a sharp divide in how boys and girls carry feelings of inadequacy into their adult lives.

"It doesn't mean boys are doing the right thing or getting through unscathed, they're just doing different things," said psychologist Dr. David Wolfe of the University of Western Ontario. Teen girls are more inclined to internalize feelings of distress while boys are more likely to take it out on others, he said. And those coping mechanisms are largely dependent on gender stereotypes forced on teens.

"That's an extremely significant developmental period, and gender rigidity becomes very powerful," Wolfe said.

A countrywide study conducted in 1994-95 of young people ages 12 to 19 defined self-concept as a combination of two variables, self-esteem and the extent to which teens feel in control of their lives.

That study found girls' self-concept tended to be lower than that of boys. Six years later, when the same respondents were quizzed, depression stood out as the most alarming consequence of low self-concept among girls who had not reported symptoms of depression in 1994-95.

The good news is that parents can help.

The study found that emotional support from family members was a positive influence on self-image and health for both boys and girls.

Wolfe says giving a teen the freedom to navigate adolescence while providing support and understanding is key.

Canadian Press