Exam support group launched
By Katie O'Keeffe
A national mental health charity has announced it is launching a support group for students during exam season.
Charity Turn2Me.ie is launching a free mental health support group for both students and parents starting this today, Thursday, at 6pm.
The Exam Stress support group will cater for young people sitting the Leaving Certificate, students preparing for college entrance exams and students doing 3rd level examinations.
The group will be conducted by a mental health professional, Anika Sparling, who is a qualified, accredited Psychotherapist.
Fiona O’Malley, CEO of Turn2Me, said: “We are delighted to launch this vital support group for students. A little bit of stress coming up to exams can be good, as it can help you focus and act as a motivation tool. The problems occur when the anxiety and stress levels increase and become overwhelming.
“Some students feel like they’re drowning in the pressures they put on themselves, or pressures from their parents, to perform well in exams.
“Of course, it’s important to try your best in exams, but academic success isn’t the most important thing. The most important thing is to manage your wellbeing and to make sure that you’re approaching exams with as little stress as possible, 1 topic and 1 subject at a time.”
Anika Sparling, a Psychotherapist at Turn2Me said the common symptoms of stress coming up to exams as feeling low, appetite loss, not being able to sleep and difficulty focusing: “This level of stress is unproductive and unhelpful because it’s bad for your mental health and it also negatively impacts your performance during the exams.”
She continued: “The group will be a safe, welcoming space for students who might just want to get their worries off their chest, who may need some support during exam season, and for parents who are worried about their children sitting important exams, and who aren’t sure how to support them during this challenging time.”
Turn2Me is encouraging secondary students, 3rd level students and any parents interested in getting support for themselves or a loved one during exam season, to sign up to this free support group, run by a mental health professional, by creating a free account on Turn2Me.ie and booking their slot.