The Pressure Cooker of Teenage Academic Stress in India
In India, every forty-two minutes one student took their own life in 2020! 11,396 students under the age of 18 committed suicide in all that year [1]. Young people who have never experienced anything other than school are turning to suicide as a result of the growing stress of exams. (If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts and you need help right away, please call or WhatsApp +91 789 255 1372)
There are numerous explanations for why academic achievement is valued so highly in India.
India is the most populous country. There is fierce competition; if a single college or job becomes available, you may receive hundreds or even thousands of applications. Academic standing is typically the first level of filtration.
While India may have a large number of educational institutions, only a select few offer top-notch education and additional career opportunities. There is fierce rivalry to get into these colleges.
Indian family and society are based on a sharing culture, including information about each other’s family. An essential component of that knowledge is the success of children. The family and their kids are under a lot of societal and peer pressure to perform as a result.
Most Indians believe that unless they are academics, they cannot pursue a profession due to years of ingrained conditioning. Athleticism and creativity are not valued as highly as grades and a college degree.
For most people, the ultimate goal is still a salaried position in a global corporation. Due to financial constraints, self-employment and entrepreneurship are viewed as risky or, in many situations, unfeasible.
The structure of the school exam system also means that the outcome of many years’ worth of study is determined by one or two exams. If a student fails those examinations, it leaves a stain on their record that is very hard to get rid of.
An NCERT (National Council for Educational Research and Training) survey [2] on 379,842 middle and high school students in 2022 found that while stress affects students and parents differently, it does impact 80% of high school students at various degrees. Additionally, the study discovered that when kids advanced from middle to high school, their anxiety levels rose.
So, what makes high school students more vulnerable to pressure?
The two board exams in high school, for which students have, in some cases, been studying for their whole lives, is one clear explanation. In their mind, the stakes are really high.
It should come as no surprise that a third of teenagers in an American Psychological Survey [3] reported feeling pressured by others' success on social media and feeling judged by it.
Some families set expectations for their children's education and professional paths in advance, which catches up with the kids when they reach adolescence.
There is an imbalance in the development of the prefrontal and subcortex regions of teen brains, which is undergoing a fundamental reconfiguration. Because of this, they have hypersensitive reward and stress response systems and immature fear conditioning. They are therefore more susceptible than any other age group to anxiety disorders.
A lot of children are raised with the belief that they should always be successful and happy. They are not yet conditioned to realise that disappointment, sadness, and boredom are all common occurrences in everyday life.
As children grow into teenagers, academic demands may take precedence over their interests in sports and hobbies, which further diminishes their ability to decompress.
Recognising warning signs in adolescents requires deliberate effort because they are naturally moody. In order to address it swiftly, parents, educators, and guardians can keep an eye out for the following signs in teenagers.
Some teens have high intensity depression, but many have a milder form of depression called dysthymia. They manifest as
o Feeling empty
o Inability to concentrate
o Fatigue
o Low self-esteem
Physical symptoms like,
o Big weight changes, both gain and loss, not explained by growth spurts
o Having trouble sleeping or falling asleep
o Unexplained ailments or pains
Behavioural changes including
o Despite repeated requests, there has been less interaction than usual with friends and family
o Despite assurances, having no explanation for feeling useless, guilty, or numb and unable to let go of such feelings
o Easily irritable and uncooperative
Cognitive issues such as,
o Poor academic performance that is inconsistent with their previous performances
o Unable to make any decisions or complete their work
It seems easy to write off all of these as typical teenage problems. However, if multiple symptoms appear concurrently, it is time to act and address the situation. If you notice these symptoms for longer than a few days, it is time to act.
Watch this space for our upcoming post on how to support teenagers going through this. Please get in touch with me personally if you would want to talk more.
1 https://www.dw.com/en/india-exam-pressure-fuels-spike-in-student-suicides/a-66938137
3 https://www.developmentalscience.com/blog/2019/5/7/our-teens-are-more-stressed-than-ever
