Relieving Pressure

A total of 1,530 children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 took part. The results are alarming for professionals. The mental health and well-being of children and adolescents were still lower at the time of the survey last year than before the COVID-19 pandemic. One in four young people rates their own quality of life as low. Two-thirds assess it as average, and only 6 percent rate it as high. About one in five students consider themselves mentally burdened. The same proportion feel uncomfortable at school; among students from low-income families, this applies to one in three. Students are most worried about wars around the world, academic pressure, the global climate crisis, and fears about their own future.

Germany is not alone in this trend, as shown by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study by the World Health Organization (WHO), which surveyed nearly 280,000 children and adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 from Europe, Central Asia, and Canada in 2022. Older adolescents in particular increasingly feel burdened by schoolwork, with girls especially affected. Nearly two-thirds of 15-year-old girls (63 percent) reported experiencing school stress and academic pressure. Compared to the last survey in 2018, this marks an increase of almost 10 percent. Among boys, the increase was smaller at 3 percent, and the share of those who feel under pressure was also lower, at 43 percent.

Stress occurs whenever there is an imbalance between perceived demands and the ability to cope with them. The causes can be varied. In the school context, common stressors include both under- and over-challenging lessons, conflicts and problems with classmates or teachers, noisy classrooms, exhausting teaching staff, and a poor classroom environment. Additionally, many adolescents today have extremely high expectations of themselves.

How adolescents respond to school stress can vary greatly from person to person. Some develop physical complaints such as frequent headaches, loss of appetite, or stomachaches. Others become increasingly tense, nervous without apparent reason, or suffer from anxiety. Attention disorders, concentration difficulties, sleep problems, and social withdrawal can also be consequences of excessive stress and academic pressure.

It is well known that supportive systems are crucial for adolescents’ mental health. The HBSC study confirms this: adolescents who reported strong support from both family and peers rated their mental health more positively than those with little or no support. This makes the decline in social support compared to the previous survey even more alarming for experts. In 2018, 73 percent of students reported feeling strongly supported by their families; by 2022, this figure had dropped to 67 percent. Peer support also fell from 61 percent to 58 percent during the same period. Social inequality has also increased. Adolescents from low-income families consistently received less support from family and peers than those from high-income households.

Schools need change—this seems unquestionable. Until that happens, students and parents can take actions to reduce stress and academic pressure themselves. Experts recommend that all parents openly address any noticeable changes in their children. It also helps to model regular, balanced work and rest phases. Having realistic expectations of a student’s academic performance can relieve pressure. And finally, a healthy lifestyle can also buffer stress in adolescents. A frequent source of conflict in many families is the responsible use of smartphones and device-free times. Although electronic media are often used by young people as a means of relaxation, they can also increase the experience of stress.

Practical tips for students include time schedules that also incorporate breaks and leisure time. Such a schedule helps assess time more realistically and be more mindful of free time. It’s important that, whenever possible, this time is used for relaxation. Physical activity is especially suitable for this. Sports are often the first thing to be sacrificed when academic demands rise, yet physical activity plays a crucial role in stress regulation. For interested adolescents, relaxation exercises can offer additional benefits.

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