Teenage years could never be described as an easy ride emotionally, but according to new research, it would seem that, for girls at least, early adolescence is getting increasingly difficult. According to new research emotional problems are increasing, with a 55 per cent rise between 2009 and 2014. This is compared to other mental health and behavioural difficulties, which didn’t see a significant change. It has been suggested that increasing pressure on girls to perform academically, coupled with anxiety over body image ‘amplified by social media’, could be reasons behind the rise. The research, conducted by University College London and the Anna Freud Centre, compared the mental health of 1,683 11 to 13-year-old boys and girls in 2009 with the same number of pupils in 2014. Dr Elian Fink, lead author of the report, warned that ‘more effective interventions’ were needed in order to address the issue, including increasing provision of mental health services for young people