ALARMING: Anxiety among teenagers is becoming a pressing issue, challenging teachers and students to be creative in the classroom.
By Kathleen Lynch, Staff Writer
According to a study conducted in 2013 by Elements Behavioral Health (EBH), 25 percent of all teenagers and 30 percent of all teenage girls suffer from anxiety disorder, and these numbers are climbing. The rise in anxiety could be attributed to the pressures of school and maintaining a high Grade Point Average (GPA). Many students nowadays take several Advanced Placement (AP) classes instead of focusing on what they’re interested in, creating a higher workload and therefore increased anxiety. This overwhelming anxiety is caused by increased amounts of stress and a decrease in hours of sleep as the amount of homework increases. It has also been noticed that the AP test scores have slipped a little for some students. “Across the board, if you take six AP classes, something’s going to give,” Mrs. Kimberly Yeyna, AP Language and Composition teacher said. Often times, when one experiences anxiety it is difficult to stay focused on a task, such as an AP test. Many students may struggle with speaking up, especially in discussions. “I’m always looking for new ways to bring students into the discussion,” Mrs. Yeyna said.
Anxiety is also becoming increasingly prevalent as a topic for the junior slam poems that are performed at the end of the school year. “Anxiety’s always a part of it, and we’ve had some winners there, and people can relate to it thats what makes them so unbelievable is all the students in the room can relate to it… People put their hearts out there and all the people in the room are like I get that, I feel that. That’s good because thats whats going to make change,” Mrs. Yeyna said. The more awareness is brought to anxiety, the more people will begin to accept that’s it’s a real issue and begin to seek help.
Anxiety can’t be expected to improve if people aren’t willing to put in the work for it. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 80 percent of teens with anxiety are not receiving treatment. Those who suffer from untreated anxiety are more likely to encounter depression, eating disorders, addiction, and a drop in school performance due to a lack of being able to concentrate or make it through a test. Anxiety is a serious issue and should be treated as soon as possible. For some people this may include seeing a therapist regularly, or seeing a psychiatrist to receive medication. Whatever is the best suited path, it’s important that it’s rigorously followed.