Late August to early September can be a very difficult time for students. This rough time is due to school starting during this period. The beginning of a new school year also means the beginning of meeting new people, starting new routines, and having new and complex work. All of these additions can be stressful for students to handle on their own.
Harrison High School’s Mental Wellness Specialist, Sandy Kauffman, notes that in just the third week of school starting, 12-15 kids have already filled out mental health and stress reports to the school. At the end of the first quarter last year 80 out of the 290 total reports were filled out, which is more than 1/4 of the yearly reports. If there is so many reported issues in so little time, one can only fathom the amount of unreported student wellness issues.
However, Kauffman also states that this may be influenced by non-school factors. In an interview she questioned the possibility of students who do not receive support at home during the summer and have to rely on the school as their safe place. This fact may have artificially added to the numbers which would provide less conclusive evidence of school being the cause of these referrals.
When students were asked which quarter was the most stressful, 50% said the 3rd quarter was the most stressful. Many students attributed this stress to the AP exams and the preparation that goes into them as their primary cause of stress during the 3rd quarter. Of the other 50% of students, 30% of said the 1st quarter was the most stressful and 20% said the 4th quarter was the most stressful. This was also followed by a surprising 30% of students who reported no increase in stress during the transition from summer to school. This may be due to Kauffman’s idea that school is a safe place for some students.
According to the Landry Therapy and Wellness blog, which draws data from the American Psychological Association (APA), 75% of students in 2024 reported feeling stressed about returning to school which is a 13% increase from 2022.
This blog also draws from the National Center of Education Statistics, (NCES), which claims that 60% of students in 2023 reported being overwhelmed by all of the homework and study requirements.
Due to a bunch of new people, new routines, and an overwhelming workload, students feel stressed during the first quarter. Students have also acknowledged that third quarter has also been substantially stressful for students. Stress is very difficult to deal with (especially when you are young), but with help it can become manageable. Even without the data it is very clear that students have to deal with a lot of stress all of the time. What should we do about it? That’s a whole different article, but here’s a place to start.
Learn and Find Help | Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
