Sleep disturbance, restlessness, fear grip board students as psychiatrists see rise in number of students seeking help
It’s that time of the year again, when the build-up of stress is at its peak. As board exami nations near, stress and anxi ety grip students. Even when they are well-prepared, what worries them constantly is if their performance will be up to the mark. Last year, exam stress pushed seven students to suicide in March when the boards were on.On February 2, this year, a class 10 student Puja Ver ma hanged herself at her house in Vatva. As per the police, she was a bright student who remained tense as her boards approached.
Yash Mehta (18), a class 12 student of Vedant International School aspires to get into IIT and wants to fare well. “But sometimes the workload gets to me and I feel demoralised. I try to control the negative thoughts but when it is hard to handle I share it with my parents and friends to feel better,“ he said.
Yash is among the lakhs of students who will appear in the SSC and HSC exams that begin next month. The build-up of pressure has already started taking a toll on the students. According to psychiatrists in the city, they have already received around 30 cases in the past 15 days and the number will only go higher as exams inch closer.
Nearly 18 lakh students will appear for Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) exams that begin on March 15, of which 11 lakh will appear for SSC exam, 5.5 lakh for HSC general stream and 1.41 lakh for HSC science stream examination.
According to Dr Gopal Bhatia, a psychiatrist, “Most cases we get these days are of class 12 students. We have already attended to around 30 cases in the past fortnight. They are doubly burdened as they fear that a poor score in boards may mar their chances of getting through competitive exams and into premier institutes. The stress begins once their preparation leave starts. The anticipation and anxiety makes it hard to focus on studies.“
Dr Himanshu Desai comes across students with symptoms of sleep disturbances and restlessness.“It is mostly the bright students who tend to struggle as the pressure to perform is higher for them. Rumination is a major problem. Kids tend to keep mulling over the same thought again and again and tend to feel worse about the exams.“ For Udgam class 12 student Khwahish Sethia, studies get stressful at times. “There is hardly any gap between the board exams and the competitive ones. The pressure to prepare for both simultaneously becomes overwhelming. I usually read novels to de-stress myself. I also discuss my issues with my parents which helps in coping up.“
A parent who is currently consulting a psychiatrist for his ward, on condition of anonymity said, “My son has always been a bright student and aspires to fare well in boards as well as medical entrance exams. But lately, he has been feeling very demotivated. He goes around performing all other tasks in the usual manner but does not sit down to study. He does not feel like opening his books. He has been feeling very demotivated. This is why I decided to get him counselled.“
It is not parental pressure that causes major stress for the students as they are conscious of the competition, believes Dr Keyur Panchal.“We advise them to reset their study schedules and take proper breaks. We ask them to practice muscular relaxation and breathing awareness exercises. Guided imagery is another technique that helps. We tell them to imagine themselves in a peaceful and secure place and feel that their mind is settling in. We also counsel parents to give assurances to their children and keep them free from tension.“
Helpline for those in distress
The Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has started a `Board Distress Prevention’ helpline for students who will be appearing for their exams next month. Trained expert doctors will be avail able on the helpline number 7046130652 under the super vision of Dr Minakshi Parikh, head of the Psychiatry depart ment at the hospital. The helpline number will remain function al till the end of board exams.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) began its counselling helpline service from February 9. The toll-free number is 1800118004. It can be accessed from anywhere in the country between 8 am and 10 pm.
Source – Ahmedabad Mirror – 18th February 2017
