Young Freiburgers under pressure: More stress than ever before!

Young Freiburgers under pressure: More stress than ever before!

More and more young people are suffering from stress. Statistics show that among young women under 15 in Freiburg, almost two thirds feel like they are under pressure at school. These alarming figures are part of the latest findings from the WHO Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which recorded an increase of over 50 percent compared to 2018. The pressure is also noticeable among boys: 43 percent feel burdened, which represents a slight increase compared to 2018, when it was 40 percent. [SWR] reports that the WHO attributes this increase primarily to the lack of support from families and increasing school stress.

Another problem that increases stress among young people is economic worries and high personal expectations, complemented by the complexity of life planning. These causes are diverse and can be perceived very differently. The social worker Peter Bichler from Jugendberatung Freiburg e.V. emphasizes that although there is a lot of talk about stress, solutions are rarely worked on. Above all, he sees a challenge in the perception of world news and climate change, which often leads to a feeling of powerlessness.

What does this mean for the health situation of young people? Stress can impair physical and mental health unnoticed. Symptoms such as headaches, sleep problems and difficulty concentrating are common. This is pointed out by the [Mayo Clinic], which also points out more serious health consequences such as high blood pressure or heart disease if stress is left untreated. Emotional symptoms such as anxiety, irritability or even depression are also common.

Stress management and support

Most importantly, there are ways to manage stress. Bichler recommends simple but effective methods: lots of sleep, regular exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce the pressure. Support can also be found by talking to friends, which is a healthy stress management strategy. The [HBSC study] highlights the importance of understanding the social determinants and broad causes of stress in order to develop effective support for young people.

The wishes of young people from Freiburg are clear: they want less pressure and more consideration from their teachers and superiors. Both the environment and society are required to bring about change. Overall, the current situation of young people shows that not only individual approaches to stress management are necessary, but also a collective effort to reduce the high pressure in schools and society.

The results of the HBSC study are not only important for Germany, they are part of a cross-border project that collects and analyzes data on the health and well-being of young people in 51 countries. These data are essential to develop strategic measures to improve the quality of life of adolescents and reduce health inequalities.

In today's world, when stress is a constant companion for many, it is important to take the right measures. There is much to be done on both an individual and societal level to alleviate the mental stress of the young generation.