Eating disorders are about more than food and body image. We now know that eating problems are complex mental health conditions underpinned by an interplay of cognitive, emotional and social factors.
Research shows that experiences and traits, including trauma, perfectionism, emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties, cause and maintain eating disorders. This means that addressing these experiences is fundamental for both prevention and recovery.
Exam stress is a form of psychological distress experienced by teenagers and young adults around the world. It impacts different aspects of mental health, increasing young people’s vulnerability to depression, anxiety and suicidality.
Examination stress is also linked to disordered eating behaviours. Disordered eating behaviours are often a way that young people try to cope with or express the emotional distress they experience. This means they can increase or become more intense during exam periods.
At the same time, young people with disordered eating behaviours often struggle with perfectionism. This can make them more likely to experience intense exam stress.
In this blog, we explore the relationship between disordered eating symptoms and exam-related stress. We also look at some of the steps that parents and wider communities can take to support young people during exam season and change the culture of pressure around academic achievement.
Exam Stress: An International Epidemic
In different regions of the world and across a diverse range of cultures, exam periods are a time of stress and pressure for young people. Teachers, parents, communities and wider society frame exam success as a life-defining goal, signalling to adolescents and young adults that their self-value and life-security depends on their exam results and access to higher education institutions.
Social norms overlook the varied and diverse strengths that young people hold, focusing on academic achievements rather than processes, character traits and social actions.
The consequences of this intense pressure are devastating. Described by experts as an international mental health epidemic, exam periods are associated with a rise in psychiatric hospitalisations, self-harm and suicides in different areas of the world.
Even when schools and universities take steps to teach young people coping mechanisms for anxiety and stress, they often remain overpowered by the strength of the pressure created by all layers of society. Real change requires local, national and global initiatives that reframe societal messaging around young people’s self-concept and inherent worth, prioritising mental health and well-being instead of academic achievement. It requires engagement from teachers, parents, communities and institutions alike.
Stress, Appetite, and Eating Behaviours
Stress has a profound and pervasive impact on the body, affecting our most basic functions. Prolonged or chronic stress weakens our immune systems and makes it more difficult to sleep. It also changes our circadian rhythms, our appetite and what we want to eat.
For some people, stress can cause reduced appetite, restricted eating or avoidance of food. For others, it may lead to more out-of-control eating and cravings for sugary or starchy foods. The impacts of stress are not temporary, but become risk factors for long-term physical and psychological imbalances.
Stress and Disordered Eating Attitudes
Stress is also linked to disordered eating attitudes, including negative body image, body dissatisfaction and a preoccupation with food. One study found that stress predicted body dissatisfaction in adolescents over the course of a year. It also found that self-esteem was the most significant mediator of this relationship.
When young people experience prolonged stress, they become less able to cope with the challenges of daily life. They may struggle to manage difficult thoughts or feelings and experience feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness because of their inability to control or respond to events.
These emotional challenges and corresponding low self-esteem can impact the way they perceive themselves and their bodies. A preoccupation with food or a drive for thinness may also be a way to distract from painful emotions or find a sense of control within their anxiety.
How Is Exam Stress Linked to Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviours?
Several studies have explored the link between exam stress and both disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. They have found that:
- Female university students reported significantly higher levels of disordered eating attitudes, higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem during the examination stress period.
- Students experiencing higher levels of perceived stress during exam season showed more disordered eating behaviours.
- The feeling of being overwhelmed by academic workload was strongly linked to a lack of control over eating behaviours. There was also an association between exam-related stress and compulsive eating.
At the same time, young people with eating disorders may be more likely than others to experience exam stress. Academic stress is associated with perfectionism, a personality trait that often plays a role in sustaining eating disorders. This may underpin a bidirectional relationship between exam stress and disordered eating symptoms.
Supporting Young People with Exam-Related Stress
Given the potentially devastating impact of exam pressure and stress on young people’s mental health and well-being, we urgently need to change society’s approach to achievement, self-value and success.
As parents, our conversations, role-modelling and support for young people constitute an important part of this process. Simple but consistent actions can make a big difference, not only for our own children’s well-being but as a part of a broader wave of change.
Communicating Positive Messages About Self-Worth and Exams
Parents have an extraordinary potential to influence and shape young people’s attitudes and beliefs. The messages we send through our actions and speech can change the way that children and adolescents understand themselves, others and the world around them.
It’s our responsibility to create a culture around examinations and success that values young people on their many strengths and attributes, not their academic achievements. We should be emphasising effort, processes and well-being, rather than focusing on specific outcomes.
This might involve:
- Holding open conversations with young people about how they are feeling and the support they may need, taking care to validate their emotions and avoiding focusing on revision or exams
- Taking care of the language we use around success or failure
- Reminding young people that there are many different life pathways that are valuable, beyond their exams
- Emphasising a young person’s inherent self-worth
- Reminding a child that their self-value is not defined by their exam results or entrance to higher education institutions
Emphasising Self-Care and Routines
Parents can support young people in maintaining healthy eating and sleeping habits throughout the exam season. Establishing and sticking to a routine can make it easier to eat regular, balanced meals, follow a sleep schedule and make time for rest, relaxation and restoration.
These simple practices can prevent young people’s mental health from spiralling downwards as a result of stress and encourage them to see their well-being as the priority.
Role-Modelling Positive Attitudes and Behaviours
Young people learn a lot from observing, internalising, and mirroring their parents’ attitudes, behaviours, emotions and expressions. When parents feel anxious or distressed, children can be quick to take on their feelings. Staying calm yourself and maintaining a sense of perspective encourages young people to do the same.
The Wave: Specialist Recovery Programs for Young People and Families
The Wave offers specialist mental health support for children, adolescents, young adults and families. We combine exceptional clinical care with education, life skills development, collective experiences and global citizenship, supporting young people to reconnect with themselves, explore new pathways and build fulfilling futures.
We emphasise inclusivity and fairness, address past experiences of trauma and focus on family and social structures that shape young people’s well-being.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what we have to offer, get in touch today. We’re here to help.
