Year 12 students’ mental health hit hard by Covid lockdowns
As the class of 2021 approaches their exams, a new survey shows that more final year school students are feeling anxious about their mental health.
Education
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Strung out Year 12s are battling through deteriorating mental health, turning to drinking, smoking and starving themselves to decompress.
The proportion of final year school students feeling anxious about their mental health has increased from 41-58 per cent in the past year, while the proportion of students worried about a friend’s mental health has doubled to 41 per cent.
The DrinkWise survey of more than 500 students has revealed the long sting in the tail of the pandemic, which has caused unprecedented upheaval for young people.
“This cohort has had its whole Year 11 and 12 totally disrupted and it’s future made uncertain,” Brain and Mind Centre co-director and psychiatrist Professor Ian Hickie said.
“Social events, new relationships, facing exams; all has been impacted.
“These figures are consistent with predictions that the mental health effects on young people wouldn’t peak in 2020, they would continue into 2021 and may not actually peak until 2022 or beyond.”
The DrinkWise campaign has produced an uplifting video of prominent Australians offering their support to young people as they head into exams from November 9 to December 3.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “class of 2021, it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve got through a really tough final year”.
“And as you approach your exams, I want to encourage you to keep going,” he said, urging young people to get enough sleep, exercise every day and if it all gets too much, reach out for help.
The DrinkWise campaign has the support of Headspace, Beyond Blue, ReachOut, Kids Helpline and My Mirror support services and will include direct links to these services.
The research also found 71 per cent of females are concerned about their mental health.
More than half of all females are staying in bed longer and using social media to cope with stress, while between 14-24 per cent are turning to starving themselves, drinking or smoking/vaping to get by.
The Sunday Telegraph revealed earlier this year that the number of 12-17 year olds presenting to the ED with self-harm or suicidal ideation has increased 47 per cent in the year to July 2021 compared to 2019.
DrinkWise CEO Simon Strahan “we initially thought this would be a one-off DrinkWise campaign last year, then 2021 turned out to be even tougher for so many students studying for their final exams”.
“Trying to relieve stress or anxiety with drugs or alcohol is not the answer.”
One Sydney Year 12 student said “I have felt absolutely horrible this whole year
as well as Year 11”.
“The whole Covid situation has made me feel extremely alone and depressed,” she said.
“I feel so unmotivated to do any work and now I’m stressing so much about uni and if my ATAR will be OK.”
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