For 81% of students, academics and tests leading causes of anxiety: NCERT survey

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The most frequently cited reason for anxiety among students was reported as studies (50 percent) followed by examinations and results (31 percent), according to a mental health survey conducted by the Manodarpan Cell of the NCERT.

Up to 36 percent of total students said they do well in studies for social approval and 33 percent agreed they yield to peer pressure, both of which impact their mental health.

While the importance of mental health and well-being, especially among school-going children, has been acknowledged by New Education Policy 2020 (NEP), the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic impacted different aspects of life in several spheres, resulting in changes in routine, lifestyle and the ways in which children interact with others.

Up to 43 percent of all respondents said they could easily adapt to changes, with middle school students responding more positively (46 percent) than secondary school students (41 percent). However, in a total of 51 percent cases, students struggle with online learning and 28 percent of respondents are reluctant to ask questions, according to the report. 39 percent students feel that online classes lack social interaction present in the offline classes.

According to UNICEF's research, a sizable percentage of students and their parents reported that learning had decreased dramatically since the pandemic.

Eighty percent of children in India between the ages of 14 and 18 admitted to studying less than they did when physically in school.

Over 3.79 lakh students from 36 states and UTs were polled by NCERT. To better understand how school students view issues relating to their mental health and well-being, the Manodarpan Cell of the NCERT carried out the task of conducting the survey. Between January and March 2022, it gathered data from students across gender and grades - in the middle state (6–8) and secondary state (9–12) classes.

"Decline in satisfaction with personal and school life is seen as students shift from middle to secondary stage. The secondary stage is marked by challenges of identity crisis, increased sensitivity towards relationships, peer pressure, fear of board examination, anxiety and uncertainty experienced by students for their future admissions, career etc," the survey report released on Tuesday said.

A drastically high number showed that while 45 percent of the total responses felt tired and low on energy, 34 percent felt tearful, and 27 percent felt lonely 2-3 times a week.

Another factor examined is trust since it fosters social ties, improves interpersonal communication, and boosts the calibre of relationships.  According to the survey, a total of 27 percent of the students indicated that they frequently trust others. Lower percentages of responses from students at both the middle stage (27.4 percent) and secondary stage (26.5 percent) indicate lower trusting capability in pupils at both stages.

The survey's emphasis was on factors that are known to improve students' mental health and wellbeing. According to the NCERT, it looked at how students perceive themselves and how they believe others see them in the context of feelings, academics, relationships, peers, regulating emotions, facing difficult situations, etc. as these are significant determinants that have an impact on mental health. According to the survey, 81 percent of respondents said that their biggest sources of anxiety are their academics, tests, and results.

Positive spin

The survey revealed that "yoga and meditation, attempts to shift the way they think and writing journals were reported as frequently adopted strategies by the students for coping with stress".

Furthermore, the survey examined students' contentment with their personal lives as compared to school lives and the results revealed that school life is more satisfying than personal life.

As the study suggests, there are hopeful trends in the findings on how kids feel about their academic involvement at school. According to NCERT, increased school engagement results in improved academic performance and a lower risk of student dropout.