Today’s students arguably have more reasons than ever to be nervous about returning to classrooms after the holiday break.
Factors such as home-schooling experiences during the pandemic, starting a new grade and meeting new friends are among many that can trigger potential anxiety in school kids.
As the smiling, friendly face at the pharmacy check-out, it can be a pharmacy assistant’s role to offer support and advice for families that may be struggling with the back-to-school blues.
Into the unknown of a new year
Educational and developmental psychologist Michael Duhig points to two main sources of anxiety for students returning to school: fear of the unknown and one’s confidence.
“When students begin a new school year, they’re met with many unknowns as a product of starting a new grade,” he said. “For those transitioning schools or, more commonly, from primary school to high school, this can exacerbate any anxiety.
“One of the main triggers of this anxiety is social functioning. While we attend school for maths, English, science and the like, fitting in or ‘finding your tribe’ can be a very tricky process and can often make or break a student’s motivation to attend school.”
Mr Duhig adds that academic demand can be an anxiety trigger for students concerned about tackling their new workload.
Signs of an anxious student
Parents, caregivers and others close to the student can keep an eye out for specific signs that point to potential anxiety triggers.
Mr Duhig cites a number of strategies a caregiver can use to analyse students’ emotions around starting the new school year.
“Prior to school commencing, some warning signs may be evident when completing school preparation tasks – think uniform shopping, stationery and book shopping, or getting a haircut,” he said.
“If your young person shows some reluctance to complete these tasks with you, it could be a small sign that they’re anxious about the upcoming school year.”
He says parents can look for “unusual behaviour”, which can include a change in diet, sleep problems, being more irritable, avoiding certain places, and spontaneous emotional episodes.
How can a parent help?
Mr Duhig highlights the difficulties for parents that come with dealing with a child who may be anxious over facing a new school year.
“Depending on the age of your young person, they may need to coregulate their emotions with you,” he said. “Therefore, if you immediately begin to discipline your child, it may increase their anxiety, as their safe person isn’t meeting their needs.”
Mr Duhig recommends:
- Allowing the student time and space needed to regain control of their emotions. This way a meaningful conversation can be had. Mr Duhig suggests deep breathing exercises, listening to calming music, having a shower, and meditation/mindfulness exercises.
- Being curious. Ask the student to identify their thoughts when they’re feeling significant emotions. Mr Duhig suggests asking open-ended questions.
- Using wins. Once you’ve identified that the student is anxious about the new school year, remind them of their successes to override the negative thoughts.
- Asking the student to list their own wins. Mr Duhig suggests these could relate to teachers, sports, social events or school camps.
Pharmacy assistants’ place in the school year
As a strong connection between parents and GPs, pharmacy assistants can play the role of being an extra push for parents, who may need to consult with a GP.
Mr Duhig recommends that PAs should encourage parents to visit their GP if they believe their young person’s anxiety is impacting daily functioning.
“If parents think that their young person’s anxiety is relatively mild, pharmacy assistants could direct parents to online resources, such as those curated by the team at eMHPrac [emhprac.org.au],” he said.
