Every second student suffers from stress

Every second student is under stress

27.01.2011

Stressed Students: Every second student in Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt is under stress, according to a survey conducted by the Forsa Institute on behalf of the Techniker-Krankenkasse (TK).

The parents survey conducted by the Forsa Institute on behalf of TK „Schulstress ", comes to the conclusion that every second student in Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt is suffering from stress and pressure." Six percent of adolescents are according to the parents' stress level of their children according to even under pressure called the increasing academic pressure and the fear of bad grades.

Causes of stress: Pressure to perform and fear of bad grades
The Forsa parent survey from 2010 has also shown that every sixth to seventh student in Central Germany suffers from stress due to stress disorder and headache. The pressure to perform and the fear of poor grades reach just now, when the half-yearly results are issued in Thuringia on Friday, huge dimensions, said the spokeswoman for the TK-Landesvertretung Thuringia, Teresa Urban. Frequently, the high expectations of the parents are partly responsible for the stress of the students. „The issue of half-yearly reports must not be a burden situation - children and parents should rather see it as an opportunity“ emphasized Teresa Urban. Because stay until the end of the school year „enough time to take care of his problem areas“ said the spokeswoman for the TC.

Children react very differently to stress
The reactions of children to the growing school stress are very different, while some suffer from physical symptoms such as headache and abdominal pain, while others show more behavioral changes. The students become inattentive and sometimes aggressive, withdraw more and more or react with total refusal of schooling. Frequently the adolescents also complain about falling asleep. The by the Studienhilfe Studienkreis in cooperation with the magazine „FOCUS SCHOOL“ published guidebooks „Good stress - bad stress“ provides parents and students with around 50 pages with an explanation of how stress can be triggered, the consequences of continuous pressure, and how both parents and children can best cope with stress. It is, according to Kerstin Griese, spokeswoman for the study group, above all „important (...) that parents and students do something together. Because children and adolescents need the support of caregivers in order to overcome crises confidently.“

Use stress management methods
In order to successfully counteract mentally stressful stress, various methods of stress management are available. These can range from proper time management exercises, to relaxation exercises, to sports activities. Kerstin Griese also stressed the importance of physical balance between learning and homework. But many methods that adults use to relax, such as autogenic training, yoga or tai chi, are quite unpopular with children. Also, studies have shown that more than a third of children are not physically active at all on a school day or for a maximum of half an hour. For example, adolescents often find it particularly difficult to cope with mental stress, and they are all the more dependent on the support of their parents. In case of particularly critical situation and severe personal impact of the stress, it is also strongly recommended to consult a psychotherapist. This person can develop individually adapted methods for coping with stress with those affected. Also, parents should always be aware that poor school performance can also be the result of stress, and that increased performance demands on their children tend to be counterproductive. (Fp)

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Image: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio.de