Under Pressure

Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls

By: Lisa Damour Ph.D.

Narrated by: Lisa Damour Ph.D.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An urgently needed guide to the alarming increase in anxiety and stress experienced by girls from elementary school through college, from the author of Untangled

Dr. Lisa Damour worked as an expert collaborator on Pixar’s Inside Out 2!

“An invaluable read for anyone who has girls, works with girls, or cares about girls—for everyone!”—Claire Shipman, author of The Confidence Code and The Confidence Code for Girls

Though anxiety has risen among young people overall, studies confirm that it has skyrocketed in girls. Research finds that the number of girls who said that they often felt nervous, worried, or fearful jumped 55 percent from 2009 to 2014, while the comparable number for adolescent boys has remained unchanged. As a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with girls, Lisa Damour, Ph.D., has witnessed this rising tide of stress and anxiety in her own research, in private practice, and in the all-girls’ school where she consults. She knew this had to be the topic of her new book.

In the engaging, anecdotal style and reassuring tone that won over thousands of readers of her first book, Untangled, Damour starts by addressing the facts about psychological pressure. She explains the surprising and underappreciated value of stress and anxiety: that stress can helpfully stretch us beyond our comfort zones, and anxiety can play a key role in keeping girls safe. When we emphasize the benefits of stress and anxiety, we can help our daughters take them in stride.

But no parents want their daughter to suffer from emotional overload, so Damour then turns to the many facets of girls’ lives where tension takes hold: their interactions at home, pressures at school, social anxiety among other girls and among boys, and their lives online. As readers move through the layers of girls’ lives, they’ll learn about the critical steps that adults can take to shield their daughters from the toxic pressures to which our culture—including we, as parents—subjects girls.

Readers who know Damour from Untangled or the New York Times, or from her regular appearances on CBS News, will be drawn to this important new contribution to understanding and supporting today’s girls.

Praise for Under Pressure

“Truly a must-read for parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors wanting to help girls along the path to adulthood.”—Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult

A Must Read!

Lisa,
Thank you for the evidence-based, real world techniques to help us teach our girls how to listen, use and tame their everyday anxieties! Brilliant!
Kim Fuller Jacoby

As pertinent during COVID as ever!

Lisa Damour has such a great way of making complex topics manageable. I loved listening to this and hearing her calming voice made it so enjoyable! A must-read for parents of girls and boys, before the teen years!

Excellent advice for Mother’s if daughters

I loved this book so much!!!
It helped me understand my daughter and how to communicate with her better!

The author is amazing and she narrates the book perfectly!

Highly recommend!

Understanding teen melt-downs

Identifying the stressors and how to communicate and teach life lessons in the midst of teen storms- a must read/listen to book, full of expert advice. Highly recommend.

Very helpful

Great advice and practical applications for a parent with a pre-teen or teen daughter.