Study: Boys more confident than girls

BOYS are more likely than girls to consider themselves good-looking and their overall confidence levels are higher, according to the most recent research on mental well-being of 11 to 15-year-olds.

The research, presented yesterday at a public health conference in University College Cork (UCC), found boys score higher than girls across a range of mental health indicators, including happiness, confidence and life satisfaction.

Boys are also less likely to experience feelings of helplessness, or to feel left out and their perception of how they look is far more positive than girls.