Soon, a helpline to beat pre-exam stress!

Is pre-exam stress giving you nightmares? Fret not! For a helpline to provide psychological support and telephonic counseling to students preparing for boards is starting from 20th February.

"A pre-exam helpline to help students deal with all these exam-related issues, (the phone number) 98118-96286 will be open from Wednesday by Max Healthcare Hospital from 10am to 5pm addressing the concerns and queries of students on dealing with exam related pressures," a hospital statement said.

"Students in distress will be helped through telephonic counseling," it said.

During exam season, students face a lot of issues like lack of concentration, loss of appetite, headache, restlessness, lack of confidence and extreme depression.

Sometimes, these problems force them to take extreme steps. Therefore, it is important that students’ exam-related concerns are addressed well in advance.

"Exam stress is a very sensitive and concerning issue. Stress can predispose to problems of the mind and body as they are closely interlinked by neurochemicals, hormones and immune system," Sameer Malhotra, head of department, mental health and behavioural sciences, Max Healthcare, said.

"Comparisons, parental expectations and peer pressure are major concerns for students attempting their board exams. Many students are anxious, stressed and weighed down by expectations. It is quite important for both students and their parents to timely recognise the signs and symptoms of distress and manage them appropriately, timely and effectively," he added.

Distressed students can use the helpline from February 20 till the end of the month.

This year’s board exam for Classes 12 and 10 will start March 1. For Class 12, the exams will end April 17, and for Class 10 by March 15.

Source: Agency