More exam stress at 15 linked to higher risk of depression as young adult – study

Key Highlights

• This effect continued into their early 20s. Higher rates of academic pressure at school were also associated with greater mental ill health, the authors calculated. For every one-point increase in school stress, 24-year-olds were 16% more likely to say they had ever attempted suicide than those who experienced less academic pressure at 15. The senior author Gemma Lewis, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at UCL, said: “Young people report that academic pressure is one of their biggest sources of stress.“A certain amount of pressure to succeed in school can be motivating, but too much pressure can be overwhelming and may be detrimental to mental health.”The report says that instead of focusing on ways to help pupils cope, schools should adopt whole-school initiatives to reduce exam stress, such as “interventions that enhance social and emotional learning and relaxation skills”. It suggests that reducing the number of high-stakes tests reduces academic stress, while families could “reduce academic pressure and encourage physical activity, socialising and sleep”. The findings underline research by Young Minds last year that found nearly two-thirds of 15- to 18-year-olds said they struggled to cope in the run-up to GCSE and A-levels.
• A quarter reported panic attacks, two-fifths said their mental health worsened and one in eight self-harmed or felt suicidal. Paul Noblet, the head of external affairs and research at Young Minds, said: “The evidence could not be clearer: academic pressures harm young people’s mental health.“The focus needs to shift from end-of-year exams and include a mix of assessment methods.
• How much longer must young people say they are struggling before truly meaningful changes are made?”Instagram CEO dismisses idea of social media addiction in landmark trialRead moreDr Sam Jones, a mental health officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the findings were symptomatic of wider pressures on children’s wellbeing.“We are seeing a sharp rise in mental health problems among children and young people,” he said.
• “More younger children are struggling and there has been an increase in self-harm and eating disorders in recent years.“What’s needed to improve young people’s wellbeing is national action to ensure equal, timely and appropriate access to both physical and mental health support, tackling child poverty, improving housing, increasin.