Susan Douglas, CEO, talks about Girl Scout’s of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council’s commitment to mental health and how Girl Scouts has continued to support mental wellness through Girl Scout Programming, especially through the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Our society was already in the middle of a youth mental health crisis – with girls at the epicenter. The pandemic has only exacerbated the stress on girls’ mental health. The stats are truly alarming, in the United States, major depression among teen girls increased significantly from 2011 (12%) to 2017 (20%). And in 2015 alone, compared to 2010, three times as many 10- to 14-year-old girls were admitted to emergency rooms after deliberately harming themselves. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in 15- to 19-year-olds, and about 70% of U.S. teens suffer from loneliness. We also know that half of all mental health conditions start by age 14, but most go undetected and as a result are untreated. Add to this today’s 24/7, always-on media, where girls are bombarded with messages—often presenting negative or false representations of what it means to be a woman, to be successful, and to be happy.
The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) surveyed Girl Scouts across the country and held girl-led virtual focus groups with high school-age Girl Scouts to get a better understanding of the mental health issues girls care most about. GSRI released their findings in a 2020 report – “Girls Speak Out About Mental Health. “
- Girls are currently coping with a lot of stress and uncertainty.
- Girls have a complicated relationship with social media.
- Girls feel their mental health is somewhat supported but need more resources and want to address stigma
Two-thirds of girls feel like being in Girl Scouts supports their mental health. Girls can explain how Girl Scouts currently supports their mental health; they also have clear ideas about additional ways the organization can step up. Girls say that although there are a lot of resources available outside Girl Scouts, they “know and trust Girl Scouts” and if Girl Scouts were to offer resources or programming in support of mental health, “you know it’s [high-]quality, and you can trust it.”
Knowing how to support one’s own mental wellness is a critical life skill – and it’s one that the Girl Scout experience already provides. Through Girl Scouts, we create safe spaces to take risks, have supportive adults and peers, provide the opportunity to take action in our communities, and are part of a sisterhood that fosters the sense of belonging crucial to a healthy life. The Girl Scout program embraces girl-only, girl-led opportunities that nurture sisterhood and community and promote resiliency at all ages. Our program is grounded in social emotional learning and physical and mental wellness. We rely on these early learning and growth opportunities through skill-building badge programs, outdoor adventure, travel, and community service.
Through Girl Scouts, we are preparing girls to address and meet the unique challenges of today and tomorrow. Whether learning to be more savvy consumers of information in the digital world through our new Digital Leadership Badge series or taking action locally through community service and highest award projects, Girl Scouts is well positioned to make lasting impact. By participating in Girl Scouts, girls grow their perseverance, self-esteem, and sociability, leading to lower rates of depression, aggression, and loneliness.
Girls Scouts exists to help girls and women thrive and is a powerful factor for developing courage, confidence and character which in turn build a foundation for success in education and careers, enable a lifetime of leadership, and provide high levels of life satisfaction. I am proud of the work GSKWR continues to do to support girls and women. We are bringing together role models and mentors, which are key to a girl’s development of sense of self, through programs like Unstoppable Women and Stand Beside Her as well as training volunteers everyday to work hand-in-hand with girls in their communities.
We know when girls lead, our families and our communities are stronger. But we need you. Please consider volunteering today and sharing your passions with girls locally and regionally. Together, we will make the world a better place.
Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road 
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