Back-to-School and In-class Anxiety (During a Pandemic)

Anxiety is a mental health condition which includes tension, worry, and physical changes such as increased blood pressure. Those who have anxiety disorders generally have intrusive thoughts or concerns that reoccur and may avoid certain situations due to feelings of panic.

Occasional anxiety is normal, but those with anxiety disorders often have severe worry and fear about daily situations. Feelings of anxiety impede everyday tasks, are hard to restrain, and can continue for long periods of time.

With school starting again, there can be an increase in anxiety for many students due to potential stressors such as separation from parents, high academic expectations, the formation of relationships with classmates/friends, and the crowdedness of school. According to the United States’ National Education Association, anxiety is “the mental health tsunami of [the current generation of students].” A survey conducted by Pew Research Center shows that 70 percent of teenagers identify anxiety and depression as a “major problem” among peers, and 26 percent identify anxiety as a minor problem.

Neurologist, Ken Schuster, says that the commonality of the different types of anxiety is that they “[tend] to lock up the brain,” thus, giving students with anxiety a difficult time at school. A couple of indications of anxiety in the classroom are inattention and not submitting work. In regards to inattention, students with anxiety may find it difficult to focus during a lesson. Depending on what is making them anxious, some students may look very attentive at times, but they can immediately lose focus. Additionally, being excessively self-critical, as a result of anxiety, can get in the way of submitting homework even if students with anxiety are working hard at it. Some students may also feel anxious about assignments or tests way earlier than their peers.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has brought numerous challenges regarding education. Dr. Jennifer Louie, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, expresses how she thinks those who already have anxiety (prior to the pandemic) are more susceptible to experiencing problem anxiety heading back to school. These students are those who were frequently absent at school, experienced heavy anxiety or behaviour issues prior to school, or showed indications of distress during school.

Prior to the pandemic, 1 in 6 youth were diagnosed with a mental, behavioural or developmental disorder, says Sandra Chafouleas (Professor of Psychology at the University of Connecticut) and Amy Briesch (Associate Professor of School Psychology at Northeastern University). Current research suggests that disorders (such as anxiety and depression) doubled among kids and adolescents during the pandemic partly due to stress and financial worries. It should be expected for students to experience anxiety. But, when anxiety prevents students from completing daily tasks (which includes their learning, connections with those around them, and attendance at school), it becomes a problem that heavily detriments their grades, relationships, and their health.

It is important to help students with anxiety during their transition back to school and onwards, as we are still experiencing the effects of the pandemic. One way to help is to listen to students and support them through our current situation, which may have taken a toll on their mental health. Being understanding and empathic can help start conversations for problem solving. Additionally, rather than reassuring students constantly, expressing honesty and encouragement is more preferred. Blanket reassurance statements like “everything will be okay” can cause doubt and uncertainty. To help more effectively, parents and educators should recognize the risks, but also stress to students how those risks can be lessened by precautions.

Overall, the transition back to school during the pandemic can be difficult for students with anxiety. But with support and assistance from parents and educators, the return to school and in-class sessions can gradually be made easier for these students.

RESOURCES

Published September 28, 2021

Written by Denzel Gonzalvo ~ Edited by Fiona Xu ~ Written by Denzel Gonzalvo

Back-to-School and In-class Anxiety (During a Pandemic)

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