29/08/2025
Navigating HSC Stress: Supporting Students and Families
Every year, I see HSC students buckle under pressure — and families feel the strain just as much. As a clinical psychologist with 24 years of practice, I know how deeply exam stress ripples through households.
👉 88% of young people report study stress in the past year.
👉 For 17%, it significantly impacts their mental health.
This isn’t just about marks. It’s about sleep, mood, relationships, and resilience.
Some key insights:
Parents can’t always stay objective — their own anxieties get in the way.
Stress often runs unconsciously: Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), the founder of psychoanalysis, showed how unresolved emotions resurface in times of pressure.
Wilfred Bion (1897–1979), a psychoanalyst, described “containment” — the idea that parents absorb and process their child’s stress. But if parents are overwhelmed, they may unintentionally amplify it.
Practical therapies like CBT and DBT give students evidence-based tools for coping in the moment.
Practical strategies families can use right now:
✔️ Keep communication open.
✔️ Focus on balance — sleep, exercise, breaks.
✔️ Set realistic goals (effort > perfection).
✔️ Parents: manage your own stress so you can truly support your child.
And if stress is overwhelming — therapy offers a safe, independent space for young people to process emotions and build coping mechanisms.
