Burgess Hill Girls School analysed the results of a freedom of information request sent to mental health trusts in England, to better understand the way anxiety disorders might affect young people, and in the responses that were returned, an immediate trend became obvious.
Central, Northwest, and East London trusts responded to the request and provided breakdowns for the numbers of men and women suffering from Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
The figures showed that over the 4 years, women were over 2 and a half times more likely than men to deal with Generalised Anxiety. Although the numbers did fall over time, the ratio of female to male sufferers remained the same.
Gender
Female
Male
2021
7791
3018
2022
6976
2757
2023
6808
2584
2024
6604
2663
Totals
28179
11022
This same pattern was reflected in the combined national numbers for the 12 NHS mental health trusts that were able to provide a response.
Year
Female
Male
2021
27,333
11,562
2022
25,506
11,341
2023
26,060
11,519
2024
25,948
11,507
When individual age bands were examined, those in the under 18 bracket displayed the same trend with girls reporting experiencing generalized anxiety at roughly twice the rate of boys.
Year
Female
Male
2021
716
337
2022
635
290
2023
590
237
2024
562
255
Anne Pithie, Director of Marketing and Communications at Burgess Hill Girls gave her input:
“Although the numbers don’t reflect the full number of people experiencing treatment, the level of difference between genders is disturbing to see.
“It highlights the need to provide mental health support to young people as early as possible, so that any concerns can be addressed before they grow and have an effect on their wellbeing.
“Research by AQR International in 2021 showed that girls who learned in a single sex setting were ‘mentally tougher’ – scoring higher for confidence and emotional control. We believe this is due to various factors that come from an environment that negates some of the societal pressures that a mixed schooling environment can create.
“Additionally, single sex educational settings allow for the teaching to be more directly tailored, allowing staff to focus their teaching and be more selective in their methods to the benefit of the students.”
