Dubois County CARES. Do you?

By Dubois County CARES

The State of the Indiana Girl Report 2024 came out at the end of August. With the Indiana Youth Survey results coming out in September, CARES had a chance to look at how local girls compare with those statewide.

This second annual Girl Report was put together by the Indiana Youth Institute and the Girl Coalition of Indiana, spearheaded largely by the Girl Scout organization.

Girls ages 15 to 24 make up a disproportional number of emergency room visits and inpatient hospital stays. Last year those behind the report asked why this is so, and now they are attributing it in part to more mental health stays by girls than boys.

Hoosier girls in grades seven to 12 experience clinical depression at twice the rate of boys, a little wider gap than what the 2024 Indiana Youth Survey results show for Dubois County grades six through 12.

The local numbers show 26.5 percent of girls and 17 percent of boys reporting feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row; 25.3 percent of girls and 8.4 percent of boys having considered attempting suicide; and 11.1 percent of girls and 6.2 percent of boys having made a plan about attempting suicide.

The numbers topped out with eighth-grade girls: 41.5 percent feeling depressed, 20.6 percent considering suicide and 15.4 percent having made a suicide plan. Second in two of those categories were sixth-grade girls, with 35.3 percent of them feeling depressed and 14.8 percent of them having made a plan for suicide.

Additional 2024 survey results showed girls outpacing boys in the last-30-day use of alcohol and electronic cigarettes.

At least once in the past month, 13.5 percent of females in grades seven through 12 drank alcohol, compared to 11 percent of males; 9 percent of girls reported vaping, compared to 7.2 percent of boys.

The Girl Report asks caregivers to nurture favorable social support structures on behalf of their girls through neighborhood networks, informal mentorships or apprenticeships and after-school programs, and to enroll their girls in organizations where they will build skills, develop friendships and grow their leadership capabilities.

From talking to girls, report organizers learned that girls are resilient. “They have many of the answers of what they need and want. They are pleading to be listened to by the adults in their lives,” according to Girl Coalition of Indiana Executive Director Mackenzie Pickerell. 

As part of the study, girls were asked: If you could wave a magic wand right now, what would be different for you, or other girls where you live, that would make your lives easier and happier? If you had to speak up for all Indiana girls, which do you think is the single most important issue to address and why?

 Largely, those answers weren’t shared, but one high school girl responded, “We may look fine on the outside, but on the inside we are hurting.”

Statewide, girls are disproportionately driving overall increases in the numbers of youths being hospitalized for serious mental health issues. And mental disorders are among the most common diagnoses for inpatient stays. 

A decline in adolescent mental health can be both a result of and result in bullying, which can be the result of or result in sexual violence, which can be a result of or result in declining adolescent mental health. It can be an unending cycle.

Another point made by the report is that there is no escape from social media; access is a constant.

Being bullied online puts girls at risk for depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation – and a loss of connection with caregivers and peers. Despite any downsides to cell phones, however, girls say that phones are a vital tool for connecting with friends. Many also see the benefits of connecting with those whose lived experiences are similar to their own, especially in the face of discrimination.

Girls prioritized immediate support through the people in their lives or the schools they attend. They shared that often, adults do not respond consistently or adequately to sensitive issues – and that this erodes trust and undermines girls’ belief that it is worth it to speak up. Girls are asking for adults to consistently show up to discuss and act on the sensitive issues they are facing.

When it comes to support from adults, girls are asking adults to create and maintain a safe environment. They ask teachers to consistently enforce anti-bullying policies, and they seek bystander intervention training for themselves and their peers. They also want practical help and safety as they navigate the threat of, or fallout from, sexual and dating violence – and guidance to build healthy relationships.

Girls asked for opportunities to achieve their hopes and dreams through mentoring, academic support, exposure to college and career opportunities, and relationships with female leaders.

Caregivers say they themselves need support through programs covering topics like self-esteem, healthy relationships, stress management, social media use and sexuality. They recognize the need for mental health support for their daughters.

Family connections also have a role. The ability to talk with family about feelings and the sense that family is supportive during difficult times can help grow adolescent resilience and safety. Caregiver connectedness and bonding also can have a positive, restorative effect on psychological health after bullying or peer neglect.

More than 20 percent of Indiana females in grades seven to 12 feel unable to ask a parent for assistance with personal issues. The advice from the Indiana Girl Report? “Take the onus off of girls to bring up difficult conversations by checking in regularly. Conduct open, nonjudgmental conversations about mental health, sexual harassment and violence, and bullying so girls know that no issue is off limits for discussion.”

In Dubois County, 91 percent of girls in grades six through 12 said they had at least one trusted adult in their lives to talk with and to turn to for advice and support.

The report pointed out an additional challenge for first-generation children; they have a cultural divide between ways their parents grew up and then aligning to American culture. “They feel displaced in some way, not fully in either culture,” according to the report.

The Dubois County Coalition for Adolescent Resilience and Empowerment Strategies works through school clubs, community activities and a variety of resources for the betterment of adolescents. For more information about the coalition or to join its efforts, call 812-827-8464.