Hans Sleye (1974) first defined stress as “the nonspecific response of the body to any demand of change.” Stress has both positive and negative impacts on individuals. It can either keep us motivated (good/euphoric stress) or lead us towards a serious mental health condition (overstress/distress). Many factors can increase stress, but the leading cause of stress among youngsters is “Failure in Academics.”

Academic stress leads to depression, suicidal ideation, and behavior among students.

Academic stress is a highly prevalent topic among undergraduates. Completing a professional degree is considered a significant milestone in the life of a person, and as the student nears degree completion, they often ask themselves three key questions: What if I fail the exams? What if I let my parents down? Am I not competent enough? These three questions lead to a three-dimensional model of academic stress, encompassing uncertainty about the future, falling short of parental expectations, and poor self-esteem and self-concept. All these factors collectively influence the mental health of pupils and lead them towards depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior.

Depression is a negative mental distortion (Beck, 1967). Barker et al. (2018) showed that symptoms of depression rise in September (start of the exam season), reach a peak in December (exam season), and gradually decrease in April (beginning of the new semester). When depression increases, “Suicidal Ideation” develops.

These suicidal thoughts could be passive or active, e.g., looking at a fast-moving train and thoughts about jumping in front of it, thinking of sleeping one night without waking up, and looking at sharp objects and thinking of harming oneself with them. The commonality of suicidal ideation is concerning. One study reported that 10.6 million adults (people over age 18) in the United States, or 4.3% of the U.S. adult population, experienced suicidal thoughts. Among children (before age 18) in the United States, 18% thought about attempting suicide.

The prevalence of suicidal ideation leads a person to show certain behaviors called “Suicidal Behaviors”. These behaviors include keeping sharp objects, making jokes about death in gatherings, writing suicidal notes, speeding vehicles, spending more time alone, and increased use of alcohol and drugs.

“Suicide” is an attempt to kill oneself, and contains four stages: suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, suicidal attempt, and suicidal death. The prevalence of suicidal ideation and behavior is common in both males and females, but attempts and suicidal deaths vary among both genders. One study shows that females are more prone to try to take their lives, but these attempts are not always successful and do not always lead to suicidal deaths. While men, thinking about taking their lives, always meet their desire after one or two attempts. This shows that the concerning point of all these suicides is not the death or attempts of suicide, instead suicidal ideation and behaviors, which we commonly ignore.

Suicidal ideation often precedes attempts and deaths but is frequently ignored.

According to the World Health Organization, suicide is one of the three leading causes of death, and in Pakistan, the rate of suicide among youngsters is 2.86 per lakh. In Asian countries, especially East Asian countries, academic stress-suicidal ideation is stronger because of cultural and financial expectations of excellence.

All the above-mentioned statements were proved in a study conducted on the students of the University of Sindh to assess the “Impact of Academic Stress on Depression, Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior”. The results of the study showed that a heightened level of academic stress causes depression regardless of gender differences. This research provided a starting notion to prevent the possible causes of suicide among students by raising awareness about resilience. Increasing levels of depression can lead to suicidal thoughts and ideation, and students need to be trained about resilience and hope.

This could be achieved through several strategies, including positive thinking, maintaining a hopeful outlook on the future, cultivating emotional resilience, and engaging in other healthy activities to stay motivated and skilled. Educational administration must practice these strategies within educational institutions, like other curricular and co-curricular activities. This will help in the healthy growth of pupils and the future generation as well. This thing raises the need for having a “well-being counselor” in educational institutes to articulate the distorted thoughts, prevailing issues with academics and peer groups, and provide them with healthy coping strategies to deal with daily life stressors.

Apart from the teachers and counselors, parents, family, and members of society must notice any unusual behavior of the child. If they suspect anyone with depression or any other mental disturbance, they should surely try to speak with him/her. In times of stress and difficulties, a child needs to be comforted by parents first, then supported by family members, and accepted by society. This lack of positive regard discourages the child, and soon they become distant and lonely. They start keeping their issues to themselves, which leads to a negative mental health condition.

Resilience-building and hope are crucial strategies to combat academic stress.

At last, everyone should not compare any child with others and expect something from them that is beyond their capabilities. It is important to note that every child is different and possesses different skills; therefore, they must be treated accordingly to ensure their healthy growth, productive functioning, and contribution to society. As in the words of C.S. Lewis, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you start where you are and change the ending”.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.