“Academic pressure on young adults has reached intense levels. The stress of getting into the right college, making good grades, and landing the best internships—all in preparation for success in the workplace—takes an enormous toll on young adult mental health. Too often, academic success comes at the expense of young adults’ social and emotional development, and the pandemic’s impact on the education system and the job market isn’t helping.”
“Academic pressure may come from family expectations, the ambitious goals students set for themselves, or the demands placed on them by society at large. Coaches and school administrators may also push students to succeed. Whatever the source of academic pressure, the results can be detrimental to well-being on multiple levels. When young adults feel they must prioritize academic achievement over everything else—including physical health, positive relationships with peers and family, creative self-expression, and downtime to recharge—they pay a high mental health toll.”
“In the quest for external validation of their worth, Gen Z students lose valuable opportunities for connection with others, self, and their greater community. In fact, students in high-achieving schools have been designated an “at-risk group” by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, due to the negative health impacts of chronic stress created by academic anxiety.”
“Without tools for academic stress management, young adults suffer. A 2019 review study found that academic pressure is associated with the following mental health symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Increased substance use
- Impaired overall health and well-being
- Poor sleep quality, leading to problematic coping strategies such as taking sleeping pills, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol to help them sleep
- High levels of stress and burnout, which ironically result in lower academic achievement
- Depersonalization (feeling disconnected from one’s body and/or thoughts)
- Poorer quality of life.”
“In addition, the study found the following data regarding academic pressure:
- Two-thirds of students reported feeling stressed about poor grades
- 59 percent said they often worry about taking tests
- More than half of students reported academic anxiety regarding test taking, even when they felt prepared
- 37 percent of students said they feel very tense when studying
- 35 percent of college students reported having anxiety symptoms and 30 percent reported suffering from depression.”