Board exams: Amid parental pressure to excel, experts suggest tips to help students overcome stress

Representative image. Pic/Istock

As the board exams are just around the corner, mental health experts are seeing an increase in the number of stress and anxiety cases.

According to clinical psychologists, the pressure of scoring good marks puts a lot of stress on students.

In a recent incident, a 15-year-old girl from Mumbai who will appear for her SSC board exam in March this year, visited a clinical psychologist as she was feeling the pressure of scoring good marks like her older sister.

During her preliminary test, she fell sick and couldn't appear for the exam. She panicked after seeing the question paper and couldn't remember what to write.

After talking to her, the psychologist concluded it to be a very panicky response, where the student felt like she could hear her heartbeat thumping. "Due to anxiety and continuous negative thoughts, students often freeze during exams. While the parents were very confused as to why this was happening, they didn't realise that the parental pressure to score high is not helping their daughter out," she shared.

Also Read: Maharashtra HSC, SSC Exams 2023: Students to get 10 mins extra for writing paper

Mehezabin Dordi, clinical psychologist at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, said, "While parents want the best for their children, they should also keep in mind that pressuring them to excel in academics may have an adverse negative impact on them. The parental pressure does not lead to success, but can cause stress and other negative effects."

She added, "Many studies conclude that parental pressure can often make children prone to stress and anxiety. Many studies also found that children who said their parents pushed them to excel in academics showed elevated signs of depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem, sleep deprivation, behaviour problems, and further lowering of grades, sending out a clear message about how parental pressure can impact a child's mental health."

Also Read: Mumbai: Student denied SSC exams over residence proof

Explaining how one can help students, she said, "Let the students decide and work on their goals. If the children make mistakes, rather than criticising them, the parents can guide them."

Dr Harish Shetty, a psychiatrist with Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai said, "The board exams do not test the abilities of students in life. Parents should motivate the students to study hard rather than asking him/her to score high."