Exam Times are high suicide risks (Life Psyche) N. Meyer.

Exam Times are high suicide risks. Read the signs and help your teenager cope:

For many students the next four months are full of exams . Grade 11’s write the dreaded final exams that give them marks to apply to universities. Matric’s are going into prelims and then the stressful finals. University students start preparing for end of year exams.

For those of us that work in the mental health field, September to December are often high suicide risk months and we are entering that time of the year where more and more of our clients are feeling despondent, overwhelmed and hopeless.

Working towards exams can be really stressful. While it might seem that some sail through their exams without a worry, for many students this period can prove stressful, frustrating, and exhausting. We can have high expectations of ourselves or feel other people expect us to get good grades.

The pressure placed on us to achieve – whether this from ourselves or from those around us – can become overwhelming and talking about it can be a real struggle. This can cause us to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety and panic attacks.

Here are some tips to help yourself:

1) Talk about how you’re feeling

By talking to someone you trust about your exam stress, you’re likely to find that they are supportive and want to help. You might find that you aren’t alone in feeling so stressed and can share ways of coping with your friends.

2) Eat well and drink plenty of water

If you are hungry or dehydrated it can affect your concentration and your ability to study. It can also affect your mood, which might make it harder to cope with stress.

3) Get plenty of sleep

Whilst it might be tempting to stay up late to cram for exams or assignments, research suggests this can be unhelpful. When you sleep, you process the things you have learned, which means sleep helps you to remember the things you have studied. Lack of sleep also makes it harder to cope with stress and pressure.

4) Take frequent breaks from studying

After 45 minutes it can start to become difficult to concentrate and taking a break can help to refresh you to continue studying.

5) Take time to take care of you!

Self-care, self-care, self-care. Make sure you are doing things for yourself that make you feel good, such as having a bubble bath, meeting up with friends, or playing football. If you have made a revision schedule, you should schedule self-care into this.

The disappointment of not having achieved what they worked hard for may leave a teen feeling depressed. While you may not think there’s much you can do, there are ways of helping them get through this difficult time:

Helping your teen cope

Create a safe space where they can share their feelings.
Listen when they share and do not judge them.
Remind them that they are loved.
Ensure that they are eating well as depression may affect appetite.
Suggest some form of community involvement to avoid isolation.
Acknowledge their achievements and hard work.
Be patient as healing takes time.
Encourage them to view their failures as learning opportunities.
After the exam results, one should not wait until signs of depression become visible but should rather seek help as soon as a child learns they have not done well.
For some students, however, failing matric can trigger suicidal thoughts. According to the Durban Para-suicide study, one third of attempted suicides involve children and adolescents.
Look out for depressive or suicidal signs with your teenager, be mindful of this stressful time that they are about to experience and be patient with them. If you feel they might need some outside help, give us a call and have a chat about your concerns.