Untersuchungen zufolge kann Prüfungsstress im Alter von 15 Jahren das Risiko für Depressionen und Selbstverletzungen bis ins frühe Erwachsenenalter erhöhen. Ein gewisser Druck, in der Schule erfolgreich zu sein, kann motivierend sein, aber zu viel Druck kann überwältigend sein und der psychischen Gesundheit schaden.

**Exam stress at age 15 can increase the risk of depression and self-harm into early adulthood, research suggests.**

Academic pressure is known to have a detrimental impact on mood and overall wellbeing, but until now few studies had examined the long-term effects on mental health.

Researchers at University College London examined data from nearly 5,000 young people born in 1991 and 1992 taking part in a wider ongoing study of children.

The study, published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, found that those 15-year-olds who worried most about their school work or felt the most pressure from their families to do well academically were more likely to report higher levels of depression or episodes of self-harm even into early adulthood.

They also found that for every extra point of academic pressure reported as 15-year-olds, the likelihood of depression and self-harm by the age of 16 was 25% and 8% higher respectively. This effect continued into their early 20s.

Higher rates of academic pressure at school were also associated with greater mental ill health, the authors calculated.

For every one-point increase in school stress, 24-year-olds were 16% more likely to say they had ever attempted suicide than those who experienced less academic pressure at 15.

The senior author Gemma Lewis, a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at UCL, said: “Young people report that academic pressure is one of their biggest sources of stress.

“**A certain amount of pressure to succeed in school can be motivating, but too much pressure can be overwhelming and may be detrimental to mental health**.”

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(25)00342-6/fulltext

It’s all about balance.

Once you’re done with school, you have to look for job. Then you have to with the stress of life. Workplace, relationships, etc.

Now, learning how to deal with stress has to be gradual, kids need time to progressively learn how to cope with stress.