Students suffering anxiety, depression seeking special help to finish Year 12 exams
HUNDREDS of students suffering anxiety, depression and other psychological conditions are seeking special help and conditions to complete Year 12 exams.
HUNDREDS of students suffering anxiety, depression and other psychological conditions are seeking special help and conditions to complete Year 12 exams.
Experts say the pressure to succeed at school is triggering underlying mental health problems, and warn that the number of teenagers affected will continue to grow.
More than 1000 students made 1153 applications last year for provisions such as extra time, rest breaks, or sitting exams alone, SACE Board figures show.
Stressed students are also reaching out to crisis lines and intervention programs, including at Centacare Catholic Family Services, which receives two to three reports a week of suicidal schoolchildren — some as young as nine.
Psychological illness was the basis of 312 requests from students across public and private schools — up from 282 in 2014 — including a rise in anxiety disorder cases from 111 to 133.
There were also more cases of “emotional impairment” from bereavement.
Psychologist Darryl Cross said Year 12 and exam stress was a trigger for underlying psychological problems.
“Year 12 does act as a further catalyst or further factor to contribute to the emotions that they are already experiencing,” Dr Cross said.
“If they are predisposed to anxiety and depression and they get to Year 12, or more particularly the exams, they are likely to activate the symptoms. This problem is not going to go away. It’s going to get worse.”
Dr Cross said some schools lacked the resources to deal with mental health issues, and some compounded the pressure students felt because they were “all about (students) getting great ATARs (university entrance ranks) so they can market themselves as a great educator”.
Developing Minds Psychology director Kirrilie Smout said diagnosis rates had risen greatly over the past decade, likely as a result of both more young people experiencing mental health issues and greater community awareness.
“We would see hundreds of Year 12 students every year who are struggling with emotional issues, and anxiety would be the most common presentation we would see,” Ms Smout said.
The “huge stressors to do with Year 12”, such as exams and assignments, came on top of pressures such as peer issues, family conflict and worries about which path to take beyond school.
While some schools and parents were sources of pressure, many students placed unreasonable expectations on themselves, she said. Some were overloaded while others had too much time on their hands.
However, Ms Smout remained hopeful that the youth mental health epidemic may have reached its peak.
SACE Board special provisions and verifications officer Lisa Wills, who has held the role for nine years, said the growth in applications based on anxiety disorders stood out over that period and was part of a national trend.
Ms Wills said schools helped students “as much as they can” but it was difficult for them because, in many cases, it was not until students took trial exams that their anxiety or other “underlying” psychological issues became apparent.
She said some schools were better resourced with psychologists and counsellors than others, and some should be doing more to promote the options for special exam provisions.
About one in 12 students who did a subject with an exam applied for special provisions last year across all categories, which include medical conditions, disabilities and “misadventure” — covering incidents such as blackouts during exams that could affect student performance.
For various reasons including illness and misadventure, more than 300 students were able to use their moderated “predicted” exam results, based on their year’s work, instead of actual exam results.
Overall there was a 13 per cent increase in special provisions applications, largely due to a rise in the “misadventure” figure which fluctuates from year to year.
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Chocolate helps get Magdalena ready
CHOCOLATE, music and her mother’s cooking are getting Magdalena Robinson through the stressful Year 12 exam period.
The 17-year-old is studying hard for her impending biology exam but is remaining relaxed.
“It’s very important to remember to have fun,” Magdalena said.
“I listen to music a lot. I play the violin, which relaxes me.
“My mother is Hungarian and she makes me all these comfort food dishes. And chocolate — lots of chocolate.”
Younger siblings and a picturesque neighbourhood around her Crafers home also help when the stress levels rise.
“It’s always nice to be around the kids and relate to them,” Magdalena said of her younger brother and two younger sisters.
“They’re always so relaxed and calm and they don’t really let things bother them. I also try to get space and go on walks.”
The Heathfield High School student is also completing courses in English, business and hospitality this year and wants to be a chef.
But she hoped to take a gap year next year to work and save money before starting university study.
“I’ve been studying a bit every night (for exams),” she said. “The people who leave it to the last minute — it might catch up with them.”