Friendship Matters: How We Can Tackle Loneliness to Boost Confidence Among Girls

Did you know that as girls grow older, they often start to feel lonelier and less confident? Yup! It’s true. Experts have long discussed the impact of loneliness and social isolation on peoples’ well-being, including mental, emotional, and physical health. The U.S. Surgeon General has even called loneliness an epidemic. In recent years, girls have been disproportionately affected by mental health issues—it’s no wonder they’re not immune to the loneliness epidemic, either. It’s time we dive into this.

We set out to learn more about loneliness and how it affects girls by sending out a survey. And guess what? The results were eye-opening. Nearly 70 percent of girls ages five through 13 experience loneliness. And, as feelings of loneliness increase, self-confidence decreases.

But there was a bit of encouraging news, and it has to do with the power of friendship.

Here’s what we learned:

• Loneliness Increases with Age: Survey results show that loneliness escalates as girls get older. 64 percent of girls ages five through seven, 67 percent of girls ages eight through ten, and 73 percent of girls ages 11 through 13 reported feelings of loneliness.
• As Loneliness Grows, Confidence Drops: While 86 percent of girls ages five through seven expressed beliefs in their ability to tackle challenges, this figure drops to 80 percent among girls ages eight through ten and even down to 73 percent among 11 through 13-year-old girls.
• Friendship Is a Confidence Booster: Companionship helps girls try things they wouldn’t otherwise do alone. For more than half of the girls surveyed, having a friend by their side encourages them to try new things (52 percent) like talk to a new kid (52 percent); 50 percent would join a new group with a friend.
• Girls Prefer Real Interactions to Screen Time: Most girls would prefer to be creative (63 percent), go outside and play (59 percent), or spend time with their family (59 percent) rather than spend all their time on screens. Despite the ubiquity of digital devices, these results point to girls’ desires for a range of authentic experiences and interpersonal connections.

These findings highlight the importance of supporting young girls in building meaningful connections and boosting their confidence. With that in mind, Girl Scouts has programming meant to tackle the specific issues today’s girls face, thanks in part to amazing partners like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

Our amazing mental wellness resources and programming were specifically developed to support girls, Girl Scout council staff, and adult volunteers as they learn about mental wellness, behavioral issues, and healthy habits. Through our mental wellness programming, girls across the country are given the tools to effectively identify and communicate their emotions, offer support to their friends, and seek help from trusted adults in their community.

And we know a thing or two about helping girls build lasting friendships and their self-confidence!

Girl Scouts offers programming that can help all of us address the loneliness epidemic.

Girl Scouts Mental Wellness Programs for Girls:

• Resilient. Ready. Strong. Patch Program
• Have you heard about the awesome Resilient. Ready. Strong patch program designed for ALL grade levels? Launched in 2021, this program is all about boosting confidence and tackling challenges heads-on with easy and fun activities and help girls boost their resilience and learn skills to lift their moods when they need it.
• Mental Wellness Patch Program
• Picture this: A special program for Girl Scout Juniors through Ambassadors (grades 4–12), packed with practical tips for handling tricky emotions. We’re talking about helping girls identify and tackle their feelings while encouraging help-seeking behavior through the “Finding My Voice,” “Showing Up for Me and You,” and “Knowing My Emotions” patches.
• Making Friends
• Brownie troop leaders and caregivers, listen up! Our Making Friends badge program is your Brownies’ ticket to friendship success. From mastering introductions to showing the people in their lives they care and, of course, having a blast together, we’ve got Brownies covered!

Girl Scouts Mental Wellness Programs for Adults:

• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
• Created for council staff, troop leaders, and volunteers, YMHFA delivers vital information to better support youth mental well-being and address common mental health and substance use challenges. Don’t miss out on this amazing resource!
• Mental Wellness 101
• Attention troop leaders and adult volunteers! This training program equips you with the knowledge and tools to promote mental wellness within the Girl Scout community. So important!

To learn more about our programs, this data, or to sign up for Girl Scouts, head to girlscouts.org. Join the conversation on social media. Tag us @girlscouts.

Guide Girl Scouts Along their Mental Wellness Journey with New Patches

Everyone faces their own struggles at some point. Whether it's navigating the ebbs and flows of challenging emotions or learning how to resolve conflicts with friends, life inevitably presents us with a variety of surprises. The Girl Scouts' NEW Mental Wellness Patch Program provides tips and free activities to assist girls on their mental wellness journey, all while reminding them that it's okay to not be okay when confronted with life's hurdles. In an effort to diminish the stigma surrounding mental health, the Girl Scouts' new patch program reshapes our perspective on every emotion and the act of expressing how we feel, encouraging everyone to view it as a display of strength and a significant step in our personal self-discovery.

In this increasingly challenging world, the imperative to cultivate skills nurturing mental wellness has never been more pronounced, particularly among the younger generation. Equally vital is our role as champions, guiding them through the intricate landscape of their emotions. Introducing Girl Scouts Mental Wellness activities, which unveils a trio of new patches. Each of these patches is meticulously designed to equip girls with the tools to navigate the demands of school, the influence of social media, the flux of emotions, and beyond.

Knowing My Emotions (Girl Scout Juniors, Grades 4-5)

Naming our emotions makes them a lot easier to handle and through these activities kids will learn to do just that. Once they’ve put words to their emotions, Girl Scouts will discover ways to navigate through them, effectively communicate what they are feeling, and learn how to stay mindful as new feelings arise.

Finding My Voice (Girl Scout Cadettes, Grades 6-8)

It’s important for everyone to be able to advocate for themselves. These activities will help kids identify their own voice while also teaching them one of life’s most crucial skills: empathy. The activities offer insights into recognizing warning signs and providing support for friends who might be struggling. Additionally, they'll learn about mental health stigma, how to combat it, and to be more mindful when it comes to how screen time makes them feel.

Showing Up for Me and You (Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors, Grades 9-12)

When teens understand the impact of mental wellness, it prepares and encourages them to not only advocate for themselves, but stand up for others, especially during tough times. With these activities, Girl Scouts learn ways to nurture themselves with self-care practices such as taking a moment to breathe and reset, or journaling about their emotions whenever a difficult situation comes up. They’ll also learn how to offer support to others when it’s needed most, through active listening, words of encouragement, and showing up with compassion.

 
While everyone experiences struggles and we can’t predict what challenges may come our way, the activities in this patch program help Girl Scouts create a safe, supportive community where expressing emotions and advocating for each other is championed and encouraged. As Girl Scouts continue to navigate school, social media, changing emotions, friendships, and other pressures, they’ll carry the self-care and coping skills they learned with them, growing into themselves with strength and confidence.

Explore FREE Girl Scouts Mental Wellness activities and unlock a special patch today!

 

What You Need to Know this Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and recent studies show that girls are disproportionally affected by the increasing mental health crisis in America.

After almost two years of dealing with the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic—along with mounting pressures at school, home, and socially—there is so much going on in the world that can take a toll on your girl's mental wellness. In fact, this past October, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and the Children's Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children's mental health.

Here are some things you should know about the youth mental health crisis right now:

1. The Surgeon General issued a General Advisory report, “Protecting Youth Mental Health (2021),” where they found that youth symptoms of depression and anxiety have doubled during the pandemic.
2. According to the CDC, ER visits for suspected suicide attempts increased more than 50% among girls ages 12–17 in early 2021 compared to 2019.
3. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) data shows nearly 90% of parents are now prioritizing their child's mental health over academic achievement. Yet teachers are tapped and therapists have patient waitlists up to a year long.
4. Research shows that one in six youth/adolescents will experience a mental health condition at any given time (NAMI, JAMA Pediatrics).

While these numbers are alarming, there is some good news: there is plenty we can do. From intentionally focusing and prioritizing your girl's mental wellness to reaching out to experts for help, we have the tools to get ahead of this ongoing crisis. Keep in mind that regardless of girls' developmental stages, it is important to include experiences where they can participate in activities, find a sense of social support, and build strong relationships.

As Girl Scouts, we take action on matters we believe in and understand the importance of mental wellness. That is why we created the Mental Wellness and Inclusion Portal. From programs designed for all grade levels to training for adults, you and your girl can participate in various activities, receive support from peers, and build social-emotional skills—all in a physically and psychologically safe environment.

Here are just a few things you will find:

Available now:

• Resilient. Ready. Strong.—A program where girls of all ages can earn a patch by completing a variety of activities that cover ten skills that may lift their mood, calm them down when they’re stressed, and help them face challenges.
• Modernized Daisy petals—Say hello to our updated Daisy petal badges! Made specifically for girls in kindergarten and first grade, updated for the first time in over a decade. These badges cover important topics like inclusion, sisterhood, and the development of age-appropriate social-emotional skills.
• Paint Your World Purple with Kristen Bell and Girl Scouts—A unique virtual event providing an opportunity to learn about the importance of being inquisitive, having a great work ethic, being your true self, and developing connections with others. Kristen Bell will take new and returning Girl Scouts alike on an adventure through the five steps to becoming a "purple person," chat about what it means to be a Girl Scout, and engage in fun activities to show the importance of being both.

• Delivering Inclusive Program training—Girl Scout troop leaders will receive new training with an intentional focus on best practices for creating inclusive environments. The updated content—developed in partnership with DEIA experts and mapped to education standards—elevates learnings around gender, race, disability inclusion, cultural appropriation, and more.

Coming in Summer 2022 and Summer 2023:

• Girl Workshops and Adult Trainings

• Mental Wellness 101 training course for staff and volunteers, made possible by The David and Lura Lovell Foundation
• Mental Wellness Workshops for girls in 4th–12th grades are being developed in partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) and made possible by HCA Healthcare Foundation.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training for staff and troop leaders, offered in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

GSUSA's new partnerships with expert organizations in mental wellness will better prepare girls and adults across the country to deal with the mental health crisis personally, as mentors, and as peers. "The National Council applauds GSUSA for recognizing that young girls are under a tremendous amount of pressure right now. Rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, and loneliness are soaring among young people,” National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia said. “Providing evidence-based early intervention and prevention training like MHFA provide trusted adults with the resources to help young people cope with the traumatic stressors caused by the pandemic.”

All great opportunities and resources that develop foundational knowledge and skills to support mental wellness for both girls and adults.

Check out more programs and resources here.

Developed in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

Founded in 1969, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of nearly 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults, and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, we have trained more than 2.6 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand, and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

The David and Lura Lovell Foundation is a family foundation established in 1994 that funds high-impact initiatives nationwide in four focus areas: mental health, integrative health and wellness, youth access to the arts, and gender parity.