The issue of mental wellness among students is becoming increasingly relevant worldwide.
Many students are experiencing new challenges in addition to their schoolwork.
Academic success now depends upon students having emotional balance, resiliency and psychological safety.
A student who is not well mentally will struggle to focus and have motivation to perform well in school.
This has created an overload of emotion for many students.
The Role of Educational Institutions in Mental Wellness
Educators and administration at educational institutions must recognize and give equal importance to mental wellness and academic success to create the best possible learning environments.
It provides early intervention as well as continuing involvement in student mental wellness.
In recent years, the academic environment has experienced an increase in the amount of student stress caused by the shifting demands of academics on students.
The demands students face today are very different from those that many students encountered in previous generations.
Academic Pressure and Its Impact on Students
Long and busy schedules, heavy workloads at school and numerous on-going evaluation or testing, all create continuous stress.
Many students feel that they have little time to recuperate or regenerate their mental health.
All of this stress continues to compound to create instability of emotional health and inability to concentrate.
According to the American Psychological Association, the single largest contributor to student stress is related to academics, and it is a primary concern of all students.
Chronic stress can develop into burnout and disconnection from studies.
External Stress Factors Affecting Student Mental Wellness
Many factors outside of academics also contribute to the stress students are experiencing.
Family expectations regarding parental guidance to assist in career planning and the uncertainty of what is going to happen once students have completed their education will create emotional stress.
Many students view the expectation placed on them from their families more as an obligation than as a way to support their personal development.
Failure to manage your student stress will cause the decline of the mental wellness status of the student.
Institutional Responsibility and Emotional Support
The institution should be responsible for managing both an individual’s workload balance and providing emotional support for their student.
Institutions can provide assistance to the student by eliminating some of their academic stress, therefore providing them a more positive way to engage in their learning.
The mental wellness of students has been partly influenced by academic pressures.
This attitude will cause students to endure continuous emotional strain on themselves.
Competitive Academic Environments and Emotional Development
Most students are under academic pressures beginning early and continuing to rise as they progress through their academic career.
Competitive exams, performance ranking and fear of the unknown when they have completed their education are significant contributors to the increase in stress levels that students are experiencing.
In a UNICEF report, it was stated that academic pressures can inhibit the emotional development of a student.
Extended periods of high-pressure situations are known to cause anxiety and self-doubt.
Creating Supportive and Balanced Learning Environments
By providing alternative to testing that evaluate the same skills, as well as providing a supportive learning environment for all students, we will be able to enhance the mental wellness of all students.
Additionally, when students feel less pressure to perform at higher levels, they will be better able to gain confidence and resilience.
Exam Anxiety and Student Mental Wellness
There are many ways that students experience anxiety about exams and how exam anxiety negatively influences students’ mental wellness through their educational experiences.
Many students feel a great deal of anxiety before and during examinations.
There is a significant amount of anxiety that students experience when the examinations they are taking are high stakes for the students.
Study Habits, Breaks, and Student Learning Efficiency
In general, studying for an examination for an extended period of time without taking breaks between study sessions reduces the student’s efficiency in learning.
Based on studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students who have difficulty concentrating have higher rates of stress and sleep disorders.
Both stress and sleep problems are common among students.
The Impact of Social Pressure on Student Stress
The experience of stress in students is heavily influenced by social pressures. This extends to the social validation of their self-worth.
Social media compounds these pressures. The constant viewing of curated stories of success increases anxiety and dissatisfaction for many.
A study conducted by the Pew Research Centre indicates that social media has a wide-ranging effect on the mental health of teenagers and students, and that making comparisons with others online can result in a distorted view of reality.
Social pressures also affect students’ academic behaviours related to peer pressure.
Peer Environment and Academic Culture
Supporting collaborative efforts rather than competitive efforts among students foster acceptance and belonging.
Healthy peer environments promote mental well-being and help reduce unnecessary stress.
The rewards of many academic systems have been based upon students’ productivity, in the belief that students who work consistently will receive the highest grades.
Because of this belief, students feel guilty when they take time off from studying.
Sleep Deprivation and Academic Stress
Sleep deprivation as a global phenomenon directly impacts a student’s mental health through increased pressure and emotional instability.
The increase of reports about sleep deprivation in the academic population has become increasingly alarming.
In the long run, students who do not receive adequate sleep become more susceptible to being stressed and anxious.
The academic school year creates an environment in which the student will not be able to maintain good sleep patterns due to irregular schedules, late-night studying, and a general inability to maintain healthy sleep habits.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, consistent sleeping will increase the performance of cognitive functioning and cognitive efficiency.
A decrease in sleep will create an increase in the student’s inability to concentrate and learn effectively.
Digital Over-Exposure and Mental Fatigue
Digital over-exposure is another main contributor to the increase in student stress levels.
The majority of students are using digital devices for multiple purposes: to communicate, to continue their academic studies, or to entertain themselves.
Continuous use of digital devices does not provide the student with a sufficient amount of time away from digital devices to focus on mental development and rejuvenation.
This continuous use of digital devices decreases emotional balance and increases feelings of unproductive quality time with family, friends, and self.
Online Learning and Attention Disruption
Online learning platforms only increase the amount of time students rely upon their screens, due to the notifications that require students to multitask while studying on their screens despite the disruptions to their attention and their emotional balance.
According to Common Sense Media, those who spend excessive amounts of time in front of a digital device experience higher stress levels and lower amounts of attention span.
Ultimately, digital over-exposure creates a greater feeling of mental fatigue among students.
Social Media Exposure and Emotional Pressure
Social media has further increased the amount of stress that students experience.
The comparison and pressure from the internet to fit in push many students into an emotional bind that makes them anxious and restless due to the continuous exposure to new things.
Digital use can contribute to a student’s mental health.
Institutional Support and Mental Health Services
There has been an increase in the number of educational institutions that offer mental health services.
