Anxiety in the classroom
by Amy Ferguson
Our world is ever changing, but the last few years have introduced new levels of change into our everyday society.
During this time, it has also been reported that pupil anxiety in Secondary School is also on the rise.
Anxiety is described by the NHS as a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear that can be mild or severe (NHS, 2018). This is a natural human response when we feel under threat, something that is wired into our genetic code from ancient times. However, in our current society, this can become a mental health problem if it impacts your ability to live your life as fully as you want to (Mind, 2021).
In a poll of 1,130 school leaders, teachers and other staff carried out by the children’s mental health charity Place2Be and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), 95% said they had seen a rise in anxiety levels amongst pupils (The National, 2022).
For staff working in secondary schools, 72% have noticed an increase in self-harm, 61% in suicidal thoughts, and 56% in eating difficulties among pupils.
Unfortunately, only 23% of staff said they had regularly been able to access specialist support for pupils with mental health needs, leaving many children and young people struggling without access to the support they need (Place2Be, 2022).
Much research has been done into the positive impact of music on feelings of stress and anxiety. Music has been known to decrease feelings of anxiety and can even improve sleep quality (Brennan, 2021).
However, what impact could Music interventions have on students with anxiety in a secondary school context?
During my time as a secondary school Music teacher, I have noticed a marked increase in anxiety amongst students. I believe that a collection of factors is responsible for this: the rising use of technology, social media, an exam-based system and students’ inability to self-regulate. It is unclear which of these factors plays the largest part in student anxiety. However, what cannot be denied is the growing need to tackle this inside and outside of the secondary school classroom.
In a world where the prevalence of technology, AI and social media is only growing, I believe it is more imperative than ever to give our young people the tools to self-regulate and master their feelings of anxiety.
How can we give our young people the support they need in an ever changing world?
How can we up skill our young people and ourselves in order to deal with the growing levels of anxiety in schools?
How can we create meaningful change for our young people so that they can learn and grow in a supportive environment?
References
Brennan, D. (2021). How Music Affects Mental Health. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/how-music-affects-mental-health
Mind (2021). About anxiety. [online] www.mind.org.uk. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/.
The National. (2022). Pupil anxiety levels have risen, say 95 of teachers. [online] Available at: https://www.thenational.scot/news/19898526.pupil-anxiety-levels-risen-say-95-teachers/ [Accessed 24 Oct. 2023].
National Health Service (2018). Overview - Generalised Anxiety Disorder in Adults. [online] nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/overview/.
Place2Be (2022). School staff witness an increase in pupil anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. [online] Place2Be. Available at: https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/news-and-blogs/2022/february/school-staff-witness-an-increase-in-pupil-anxiety-low-self-esteem-and-depression/.