More students seeking help for exam stress, with pressure increasingly self-driven: Psychologists

SINGAPORE: More students in Singapore are seeking professional help to cope with academic pressures, with psychologists observing that the stress is increasingly self-driven rather than imposed by parents.

Psychologists told CNA they have seen up to a 20 per cent rise in cases involving exam-related stress every year since 2021.

Clinics that once saw appointments clustered around major examination periods are now seeing a steady stream of new cases throughout the year.

One clinic said it now sees between 12 and 15 new student patients every month, noting that the pressure often comes from students’ fear of disappointing their parents.

Social media has also compounded the problem, psychologists say, as students constantly compare themselves with others and feel isolated in their struggles.

“STUDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY CANNOT FAIL”

Dr Joel Yang, clinical psychologist at Mind what Matters, said exam stress can manifest in a wide range of mental health issues and may worsen underlying vulnerabilities to mental illness.

"It's not uncommon, whether it be symptoms of depression, anxiety and how that manifests in behaviours – self-harm (or an) increased likelihood of becoming addicted to various things, whether it be smoking, vaping, gaming or pornography,” Dr Yang told CNA.

“In more extreme cases that I've seen … teenagers who maybe have some early onset psychotic symptoms start to become not just disillusioned, but even delusional to some degree.”

Dr Annabelle Chow, principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology, said four in five patients experiencing exam stress are brought in by their concerned parents. Her clinic sees up to 10 high-risk cases a week.

She noted a shift over the years in terms of where pressure originates from.

"In earlier years, we noticed a trend of students being more susceptible to external pressure. So parents will say, you need to work very hard, you need to do well, you need to go to this school. And there's a lot of pressure from family and sometimes teachers,” Dr Chow said.

“But in recent years, the trend has kind of shifted where … parents will share with me that (they’re) really okay with however (their children) do, as long as they try their best, that's all right.”

However, she said students can still place intense expectations on themselves, particularly when their parents are very successful.

"The students feel like they cannot fail their parents, and they don't want to bring shame to the family. They want to make their parents proud."

Fear of being left behind socially is another factor, she added.

"If their friends are all aiming to go to an elite school, they want to go together because they don't want to feel socially left behind."

EXAM REVIEW WELCOME, SAY PARENTS

Rising stress levels among students have also renewed attention on how examinations in Singapore are structured.

Last Thursday (Jan 29), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said it will engage Singaporeans on how to further lower the stakes of examinations, so that children can learn more deeply and holistically.

As part of broader education conversations under the Forward Singapore initiative, MOE will consult students, parents, teachers and academics on how exams are framed, including how difficult they are, as well as how results are used to determine students’ pathways.

The ministry has said it is not closed off to any ideas and is also studying overseas approaches.

Ongoing reviews of the Direct School Admission system, co-curricular activities and aspects of the Primary 1 registration framework will also feed into the discussions.

Some parents welcomed the move.

"As parents, as the community, we can strike a better balance because we need to understand that children develop at different speeds. And not everything meaningful can be measured by a test," said Mr Farha’an Ismail, a father of three. 

Another parent, Ms Charlene Ho, said that while some stress can be helpful, comparisons between children often worsen the situation. 

"A certain level of stress is good, but the greatest stress I feel comes from parents being competitive or kids being compared to others. So while the education system has introduced changes, there also needs to be a shift in the mindset of parents,” added Ms Ho, who has a two-year-old son.

To manage stress and improve concentration, psychologists recommend that students get at least seven hours of sleep each night and work on developing a more supportive internal voice.

Parents are also encouraged to engage their children in conversations beyond academics and to acknowledge their feelings when they arise.