Almost nine-in-10 girls in Ireland between the ages of 12 and 19 struggle with anxiety and worry, according to a new survey.

The experiences of about 1,035 teenage girls across the country were documented through research carried out by the Shona Project, who host workshops and programmes to help young girls navigate daily challenges.

89% of respondents said that they carry anxiety or worry that nobody knows about, while 79% said they sometimes feel no good at all.

A further 67% said that their school environment isn’t a safe or welcoming space for everybody.

Shona Project CEO Tammy Darcy told Lunchtime Live that she was "not at all" surprised by these results.

“When you think about it with social media, they’re constantly being told, ‘You should buy this, you should have this, you should look like this, you should achieve this’,” she said.

“Even with the education system, which is a meritocracy, where it’s like, ‘You need these points to get here, and this is where you sit on the hierarchy’.

"Its constant pressure all of the time."

Child doing makeup and skincare routine. Image: Dmytro Zinkevych / Alamy Stock Photo

Listener Rebecca from Galway, who is only recently out of secondary school, said that as someone who struggles with anxiety, she could relate to the picture painted by these results.

“As far as school not feeling like a safe space or inclusive, that also doesn’t surprise me,” she said.

“I mean, I had your typical Irish school setup; I went to an all-girls secondary school, which was very focused on academics and sports.

“If your interests didn’t lie within the typical sports being played in the school, there was really no area for extracurricular activities, no way to build a relationship outside of school."

Rebecca said that with social media feeds being so personalised, it can feel like a reminder that someone is achieving more than you every time you open your phone.

Main image: Girlfriends consoling sad anxious teenage girl (Westend61 GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo)