There is some cultural belief that teenage girls struggle with more problems emotionally and psychologically than teenage boys. Despite some of the obvious flaws in those beliefs, there is some new research indicates that teenage girls are under more stress than boys, particularly interpersonally. Essentially, girls reported a higher average of stressful events per week than boys, which makes them have to utilize coping strategies at a greater frequency than their male counterparts.

Looking at interpersonal stressors alone and the teens’ reactions to them “explains 30% of why the girls are more depressed than the boys,” Hankin says.

Genders respond in different ways to stress, the study also found. “If there is a romantic fight between a boy and a girl, on average, a girl will respond with more depression,” Hankin says. “A boy will go distract himself,” Hankin says, perhaps playing basketball or doing some other activity.

This research is interesting but I think the real story is in how young men and women respond to the stress they experience. American culture encourages women to experience, connect with, and understand emotions, whereas the opposite is true for men. Many males in the US learn to disconnect from their emotions, which on the surface may make them appear more composed and calm. However, if men do try to distract themselves from stressful situations rather than deal with them through active coping strategies, it manifests in other ways such as physical health problems and increased aggression. The bottom line in my opinion is that both sexes are equally healthy and troubled, it is just revealed in different ways.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 10 Feb 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.