Exam stress: talking to children may help,say experts

‘How will I face my family,teachers,friends and peers?’ this dilemma,say psychiatrists,is an important question leading to the decision of suicide.

“It is very important to check impulsivity in adolescents. Most of the literature points at impulse as a driving force to taking the extreme step. Agitation and hyper anxiety is very high because at that age there is no adult wisdom. It is to be reiterated that parents will love their children irrespective of their marks,” said Dr Shubhangi Parkar,Head of the psychological medicine department at Seth GS Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Psychiatrists say copying should be handled in a more sensitive way at all levels. “Copying is seen as a crime,a sin and a stigma. It is compared to any immoral act and raises questions about the personality of the student as well as his/her family. Even though copying is not the right thing to do,the society should not see it as a crime,” added Dr Parkar.

Counselling plays an important role in handling such situations. “Post exams,we get a lot of students complaining of pressure from parents to get into engineering. They often say that they are left with no second choice. They are most vulnerable. It is nice to boost about your child being an engineer but there are equally good options available now,” said Dr Chavda.

“Cut throat competition is going to stay in the society. Parents should talk in the language of options,” added Dr Parkar.