A new special issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America calls for a major shift in how clinicians, educators, and policymakers approach girls’ mental health. Rather than focusing solely on individual diagnoses, the issue examines the systems — schools, healthcare, and communities — that shape girls’ mental health outcomes.
Titled “Transforming Systems of Care for Girls,” the issue grew out of an annual institute hosted by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Dr. Lisa Fortuna, co-chair of AACAP’s Systems of Care Committee and professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at UC Riverside School of Medicine, explained that the journal collaboration extends the institute’s focus on systemic influences.
“Instead of looking only at diagnoses and treatments, we want to broaden the conversation to how systems respond to girls’ needs,” Fortuna said. “This includes understanding how gender and intersecting identities shape experiences in schools, communities, and clinical care.”
The special issue features 13 review articles summarizing the latest research on topics affecting girls’ mental health, offering clinical recommendations for healthcare providers. Contributors include both senior and junior researchers, with a central focus on intersectionality — how race, disability, immigration status, and socioeconomic background intersect with gender to influence mental health outcomes and access to care.
Dr. Michelle Porche, professor in-residence of internal medicine at UCR School of Medicine and contributor to the issue, said: “We need to address not just girls in general, but the diversity of girls’ experiences. Systems often overlook how multiple identities shape risk, resilience, and access to services.”
The issue also addresses timely concerns such as social media’s impact on body image, depression, and suicidality, including interventions that help girls engage with social media more intentionally and healthily.
Fortuna highlighted the urgent timing of the publication. “Rates of anxiety, eating disorders, and self-harm among girls increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns about their mental health continue to grow,” she said. “Even when discussions about gender face political resistance, the lived experiences of children do not disappear.”
The editors hope the issue will inform clinicians and inspire broader systems to better meet girls’ unique needs. “It’s about recognizing where systems fall short and thinking creatively about how to do better,” Porche said.
The issue is available from January 2026 through institutional subscriptions, academic libraries, and the journal website.
Key Highlights of the Issue
The editors describe a growing mental health crisis among adolescent girls in the U.S., marked by rising rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, and trauma.
They call for holistic, collaborative, trauma-informed, and justice-oriented systems of care.
Articles explore trauma-responsive policies, support for neurodivergent girls, and the importance of centering girls’ voices in community-based programs.
Dr. Porche and co-authors open the issue with “Trauma and Girls: Implementing Trauma-Informed Policies and Practices in Systems of Care,” emphasizing the need for approaches that prevent re-traumatization and actively promote healing. The closing article, “The Intersection of Educational and Cognitive Diversity Factors for Girls Impacted by the Carceral System,” highlights the need for better support for neurodivergent girls in schools and juvenile justice settings.
Related topic：
