The Trouble with Teen Girls

A Conversation with Donna Jackson Nakazawa

One out of four teens girls struggle with symptoms of major depression, compared to fewer than one in 10 boys. You can’t help but wonder, why are girls suffering more than boys?

Join features editor Marian Sandmaier in conversation with Donna Jackson Nakazawa, author of Girls on the Brink, to explore how little-known neurobiological factors can interact with social pressures to increase vulnerability to depression and anxiety in adolescent girls. They discuss ways that therapists like you can help parents strengthen their daughters’ sense of agency, prepare them to stand up to societal pressure, and help them feel seen and valued.

Also, read our book review of Girls on the Brink and Donna’s most recent feature in the magazine.

Marian Sandmaier

Marian Sandmaier is the author of two nonfiction books, Original Kin: The Search for Connection Among Adult Sisters and Brothers (Dutton-Penguin) and The Invisible Alcoholics: Women and Alcohol Abuse in America (McGraw-Hill). She is Features Editor at Psychotherapy Networker and has written for the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, and other publications. Sandmaier has discussed her work on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, and NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Fresh Air.” On several occasions, she has received recognition from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for magazine articles on psychology and behavior. Most recently, she won the ASJA first-person essay award for her article “Hanging Out with Dick Van Dyke” on her inconvenient attack of shyness while interviewing. You can learn more about her work at www.mariansandmaier.net.