Teenage girls all talk - and that can be bad

News Type: Opinion — Seeded on Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:10 PM EDT

Article Source: Australian News Network

health, depression, psychology, girls, mental-health, teens, anxiety

IT'S not always good to talk, especially for teenage girls, new research suggests.
Friendships that lend themselves to ruminating about problems may actually contribute to emotional difficulties, depression and anxiety. A study in the journal Developmental Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association, finds that girls are more likely than boys of the same age group to develop anxiety and depression as a result of extensive conversations with friends about their problems, dubbed "co-rumination" by the authors. They define co-rumination as excessively talking with another person about problems, including rehashing them and dwelling on the negative feelings associated with them.

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Groups: Australian Viners, Domestic, Psych, Soc, Philos, Teenage Wildlife
Regions: Melbourne

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4.5

{"commentId":871259,"authorDomain":"onlynow99"}

Angel_C

Good article, clipping to the Psych, Soc, Philos group page.

{"commentId":871259,"threadId":"126267","contentId":"839937","authorDomain":"onlynow99"}

2 votes

#1 - Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:47 PM EDT

{"commentId":874722,"authorDomain":"johblogs"}

Johblogs

Thanks Angel_C. It rang true to me!

{"commentId":874722,"threadId":"126267","contentId":"839937","authorDomain":"johblogs"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:33 AM EDT

{"commentId":871774,"authorDomain":"johblogs"}

Johblogs

It's possibly true for all of us, not just teenage girls that talking frequently about problems isn't good.

{"commentId":871774,"threadId":"126267","contentId":"839937","authorDomain":"johblogs"}

1 vote

#2 - Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:49 AM EDT

{"commentId":874240,"authorDomain":"genericpsycho"}

indica

I'm a prime example of this. The more I express my problems the more likely I am to be bothered by something totally unrelated. It's like, as soon as I complain about something, bam - everything else that day bothers me. It's not that I exactly tell one person either - if I feel bad about something, I have to tell EVERYBODY. I'm getting better at this, however. I try to think out the situation before I open my mouth about it: Will @!$%#ing help solve the problem? Does the person I'm @!$%#ing to want to hear this? Will I create a foul mood in the person I'm @!$%#ing to?
My attitude doesn't just affect me, either. I've noticed that since me and my boyfriend have started dating, he's become more high strung and easily agitated. Most people probably won't notice - he's very laid back to begin with - but it's something I notice and feel guilty for.

I've also noticed a correlation between gossiping and self-esteem problems. The two most gossipy people I know are also the two most self-hating people I know.

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1 vote

#2.1 - Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":874668,"authorDomain":"johblogs"}

Johblogs

I agree with a lot that you say and I am also trying to be more responsible about the whinging I do. Especially at work. I find that once you begin complaining about something, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and then even when you are over it, it's still there.

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2 votes

#2.2 - Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:17 AM EDT

{"commentId":879473,"authorDomain":"onlynow99"}

Angel_C

It must be easier to complain and be negative, because we all seem to go there. Just try being positive for one full day and someone will question your sanity! LOL

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1 vote

#2.3 - Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:29 PM EDT

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Teenage girls all talk - and that can be bad

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