State of the Georgia Girl Report

Stress & Anxiety, continued. Stress in Georgia rises steadily as students progress through middle and high school. 51% of 6th-grade girls report feeling stressed sometimes or always, climbing to 61% by 12th grade. The trajectory underscores the cumulative weight of the academic, social, and developmental pressures girls navigate as they approach adulthood. Experiencing stress increases through school, increasing from half to nearly two-thirds of girls reporting experiencing stress Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Student Health Survey – Middle and High School, 2023–2024.

Stress Frequency by Grade Upper School Girls - Georgia

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EMOTIONAL WELLNESS OF GEORGIA GIRLS

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Along with chronic levels of stress, Georgia girls are also experiencing a concerning level of anxiety, contributing to the broader mental health crisis. Research shows that girls often experience these internalized symptoms of mental health challenges while boys exhibit externalized behaviors, making it more difficult for girls to receive targeted interventions in schools. In fact, they may actually be “academic superstars using perfectionism to cope with significant underlying distress” (Weist, 2018). In Georgia, girls are nearly twice as likely as boys to experience intense anxiety: 35% of girls in middle and high school report intense anxiety, compared to 17% of boys.

35% of teenage girls in Georgia report feeling intense anxiety - nearly twice as high as boys.

Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Student Health Survey – Middle and High School, 2023–2024.

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THE 2026 STATE OF THE GEORGIA GIRL REPORT