By S. Kenneth Shishir
With examinations fast approaching, academic stress, parental pressure, anxiety and depression are mounting on the young minds and are snatching the happy life of students who are being pressurised to study, score, score and score high marks in the examinations, says Dr. Rekha, Counselling Psychologist at B.M. Hospital here. Stating that the rate of anxiety and depression have sky-rocketed in the last few decades, Dr. Rekha said that studies have shown that 50% students suffer from health issues such as depression, anxiety and hysteria which sometimes result in students getting addicted to alcohol and drugs and added that studies have shown that students suffer from anxiety or depressive illness during adolescents which was seriously affecting their mental status and habits like eating, sleeping and drinking. Noting that academic stress involves mental distress regarding anticipated academic challenges or failure or even an awareness of the possibility of academic failure, Dr. Rekha said that during the school years, academic stress may show up in the child’s environment such as home, school, neighbours or friends. She said that school-related situations, such as tests, grades, studying, self-imposed need to succeed, as well as that induced by others, were the main sources of stress for students and added that the impact of academic stress have led to poor outcomes in the areas of exercise, nutrition and self-care. The education system here demands long hours of systematic study every day, she said and added that the elaborate study routines that are expected by students span from the morning till late evening hours, leaving little time for recreation and we hardly see children playing now-a-days.
