Management of Academic Stress and Anxiety Among School Children

Book excerpt: Humans have been facing many adversities ever since the beginning of their existence, and stress is perhaps the most commonly experienced among them. The term stress refers to the psychological state which derives from a persons appraisal of the success with which he or she can cope to the demands of the environment. In other words, it is the reaction of the mind and body to change. How one responds to stress is determined by how one evaluates the change. The process of cognitive appraisal involves monitoring of four aspects of a persons transaction with his environment and the continual balance between them. The four aspects are the following: 1. Demands made on the person 2. Their personal characteristics and coping resources 3. Constraints under which they have to cope 4. The support they receive from others Stress can be experienced in a variety of situations, including family situations, work situations, interpersonal situations, academic situations, etc. Out of a number of stresses faced by adolescents and young adults, academic stress emerges as a significant mental problem in recent years.