New research has reported that young women are the section of society at the most risk to mental health issues and the selfie culture is to blame.
The NHS Digital statistics found that over a quarter of women aged between 16 to 24 show symptoms of suffering from mental health problems.
26 per cent of women of that age bracket said they suffered from one or more signs of mental health issues, depression and anxiety for example, which is an increase from the last study in 2007, where 21 per cent of young women said they hade some psychological issues.
It is thought that young women are particularly vulnerable to the pressures of social media, with a “selfie generation” causing females concern about their body image, and bullying by their peers.
The concern is that these young women don’t feel that their lives are as good, or they are as attractive, as others they follow on social media. Women, aged 16 to 24, are also the most likely to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol compared to women in different age groups.
Sally McManus,from the National Centre for Social Research said women aged 16 to 24 had “very high rates” of anxiety and depression.
McManus said: “This is the first cohort to come of age in social media ubiquity. This is the context they are coming into and it warrants further investigation.”
A Department of Health spokesman said: “We want to make sure that everyone, regardless of gender, age or background, gets the mental health treatment they need.
The research, was based on a survey and in-depth interviews with more than 7,000 adults, aged between 16 and 74.
If you are suffering from mental health issues The Samaritans can be contacted any phone on 116 123
