Teenagers under pressure from exam season and uncertain future

As exam season gets under way, the increase is being blamed on fierce competition for university places ahead of the planned tuition fees increase to as much as £9,000-a-year.

The Family Doctor Association, which represents GPs in more than 1,000 surgeries across Britain, has reported a rise in the number of teenagers seeking help for “exam-related” stress.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, which represents 32,000 specialists, also said their members had noticed increases in demand for such services.

According to figures published by YoungMinds, the number of calls regarding exam anxiety has risen from 27 per cent in 2009 to almost 40 per cent last year.

The mental health charity said the majority of those calls were from high-achieving teenagers in affluent families who “put enormous pressure on themselves to succeed”.

Lucie Russell, the charity’s director of campaigns, said a surge in calls from parents had been received amid fears about their children being “under intolerable pressure”.

Head teachers said their A-level students were under unprecedented pressure to obtain their grades for university.

A survey by children’s charity ChildLine revealed that more vulnerable students are even turning to alcohol or self-harm to cope.

According to the survey, 92 per cent of young people feel anxious about revision and exams. While most young people are able to manage their anxiety, vulnerable young people are turning to alcohol (14 per cent) and self-harm (8 per cent) to cope. This presents a significant safeguarding concern for these vulnerable young people.

Last year, the ChildLine base for Yorkshire and the Humber, based in Leeds, counselled 78 children about exam stress. To help children and young people cope with exams and combat anxiety, ChildLine has made a short film, which can be viewed on a new “Beat Exam Stress” hub on the ChildLine website.

Christine Mellor, assistant director for ChildLine, Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The exam period can be a very stressful and anxious time for young people and young people tell us that pressure from parents is one of the top causes of anxiety, as well as that they don’t feel supported through their exams.”

ChildLine is offering the following advice to parents and carers of children and young people who may be facing exams this summer which could help ease exam stress and anxiety:

Don’t place unnecessary pressure on your children to gain certain grades. They may feel they have failed if they don’t achieve what they thought was expected.

Encourage children to take regular breaks, eat snacks and exercise.

Help them revise by leaving them the space and time to do so.

Be relaxed about chores or untidiness and understand they might be moody.Allow your children to revise at nights if that’s what works best for them however do make sure that they get enough sleep to keep their energy levels up in the day.

Be supportive and help alleviate their worries by talking to them.

Be positive, help them put the whole thing into perspective. They can always take an exam again.

Get them to check out the new ChildLine video, designed to help young people cope with anxiety, or look for tips and advice on the new “Beat Exam Stress” hub on the ChildLine [email protected]