mental health and test anxiety
Resources and tips to understand and overcome test-related anxiety.
Introduction
Research by the Child Mind Institute found that half of all mental health challenges emerge before the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24, making the provision of mental health resources in schools critical. Additionally, students at high-achieving schools – including many independent schools – are considered 'at-risk' as a group for behavioral and mental health challenges, due primarily to heightened competitive environments.
As a result, independent schools around the world are taking proactive steps to address mental health needs for students and educators, including investing in training, resources, and resilience programs. Like most challenges, especially for young people, mental health issues can be difficult to navigate, but with the right supports and preparation most issues are manageable.
Why are independent school students 'at-risk?'
Among the many advantages of independent schools is that they establish and promote higher academic, behavioral, and community standards than other schools:
Independent schools also encourage or require students to be actively involved outside of the classroom, with stipulations around community service; athletics, arts, or other extracurriculars; and participation in school clubs and other activities.
Although these requirements propel students to achieve academic excellence and personal development, they can also contribute to student stress. As students feel more pressure to succeed across multiple domains and stand out from their peers, it can be common for them to experience feelings of isolation and anxiety.
What are independent schools doing about mental health?
Schools are investing in:
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Awareness trainings, to help educators recognize behavioral and mental health challenge indicators and intervene appropriately
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Making counseling easily available to students, including hiring more in-school psychologists and social workers
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Building school and community cultures to prevent bullying and destigmatize mental health challenges
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Other, school-specific initiatives, including getting parents more involved in school life and creating more open lines of communication between schools and families
Supporting your students at home.
Schools play an important role in helping students maintain their mental health, including providing counseling and other resources, recognizing warning signs and responding appropriately, as well as building inclusive, supportive cultures. But there’s a lot that parents and families can do at home to help their students thrive.
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Emphasize individual growth. Students from households that emphasize individual growth, character development, and maturity report experiencing less stress and anxiety than students from households that emphasize academic achievement.
Equally important: students from those types of households also perform better at school, have better mental health outcomes overall, and exhibit fewer “rule-breaking’ behaviors than students whose households are perceived to be more achievement-minded.
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Coach mindfulness and big-picture perspective. Students at high-achieving schools overwhelmingly report being mostly or always worried about their schoolwork and getting into the college of their choice. Maintaining a sense of self, being present, and seeing the “big picture” can help alleviate that stress, and reduce some of the unhealthy pressure that students put on themselves.
Some stress and pressure is good—students should strive to achieve great things, and worrying about not getting into their dream school is normal. But at a certain point it becomes counterproductive. Healthy practices, which start at home, can help.
