Rebecca Smith

The Compassion Club (Adolescence and Self Esteem)

'The transformation from adolescence to adulthood is period of rapid growth and changes, in which teenagers grapple with establishing an identity. It is estimated globally that 10-20% of young people experience mental health problems (WHO, 2020) whilst half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14 (Brown & Triggle, 2018; WHO, 2020). Female adolescences are highly at risk during this time, as they are twice as likely to experience depression (Thapar et al., 2012) and anxiety symptoms than their male counterparts (Beesdo et al., 2009). Self-esteem significantly declines, especially between the ages of 11-16 (Baldwin & Hoffmann, 2002; Clay et al., 2005), often occurring in parallel with the decline in body satisfaction (Clay et al., 2005). Girls also experience higher levels of self-criticism, external shame and resistance to compassionate feelings towards themselves (Xavier et al., 2016).' Rebecca Smith