Students: We experience excessive stress and anxiety during studies, most schools do not address it
Three quarters of high school and university students experience excessive stress or anxiety during their studies, which they would like to address with a specialist or learn how to manage. For some students, these issues escalate into more serious mental health problems that lead them to seek care from a psychiatrist or psychologist. At the same time, more than two thirds of students believe that their school does not provide sufficient information and counseling in this area. This emerged from a survey among nine hundred students of Czech secondary and higher education institutions. In August 2022, the survey was conducted by GTS Alive, which also issues and manages ISIC student cards.
“From high school principals, we hear that students' mental health has been deteriorating in recent years. That is why we prepared this survey, which is meant to be the first step in mapping the situation. The survey revealed, among other things, that students lack sufficient information about mental health and well-being topics during their studies. Almost ninety percent of students would appreciate practical tips from experts on how to take care of their mental health while studying,” commented Radek Schich, director of GTS Alive, on the survey results.
The survey also included an open question asking what would personally help each student better manage stress related to studying or their personal situation during a demanding study period. Students frequently mentioned the attitude of teachers. They dislike that some teachers put excessive pressure on them, are not sufficiently accommodating, do not understand them, and fail to coordinate dates for written exams and tests among themselves.
Other students would welcome greater support from their families, instead of threats and reproaches. They would appreciate overall less pressure and better access to psychologists, who are in short supply and not always easy to reach, according to the students.
Some students would also welcome a change in the education system to one that relies less on grades and tests and teaches more practical skills rather than just theoretical knowledge. In other responses, students focused on their own approach, saying they need to improve their school preparation or learn not to stress so much about assignments and things that are new to them.
The issue also directly affects schools. “Students’ mental health has been one of the main topics we have been addressing at our school for several years. A significant number of students struggle with more or less serious psychological and psychiatric difficulties that make studying harder for them, prevent them from passing the graduation exam or more demanding tests, and in some cases are the direct reason for ending their studies. This concerns roughly several dozen students, and dealing with this issue is almost a daily part of our work,”, states Mgr. Martin Kašpar, director of Gymnázium Na Pražačce.
An anonymous online survey was completed for GTS Alive by 897 students – holders of the ISIC student card from all over the Czech Republic. Fifty-five percent of them study at a secondary school or vocational school, 42 percent at a university, and the rest at a higher vocational school.
