The life of a child may seem carefree, but children and adolescents feel stress, too. Adolescent boys and girls experience equal amounts of stress, but that stress appears to come from different causes and has different results. Illinois researchers found that although girls seem to show more signs of stress, stress levels are actually about equal. Girls are more likely to be stressed because of relationships with their friends or their family.
Boys are more likely to experience stress because of events in their lives.
Depression tends to be associated with interpersonal relationships, which explains why girls are more likely to become depressed due to stress. A separate study by Boston researchers cited stress as the culprit in the increasing rate of sleep disorders among children. Sleep disorders can be both caused by stress and the result of stress. Lack of sleep can make children irritable and hyperactive, and can result in behavior problems. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say parents can help children cope with stress by communicating with them.