As exam season approaches, with GCSEs, SATs, and university assessments, there’s something we must prioritise above all else:

Mental wellbeing comes before learning.

From a neuroscience perspective, when a young person is stressed, anxious, or dealing with trauma, their brain goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode. The amygdala, the brain’s threat detector, becomes overactive, reducing the function of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for focus, memory, and learning. You might find this article on the impact of trauma on the brain by The Mulberry Bush enlightening.

In simple terms:
A stressed brain cannot learn effectively.

The World Health Organization reports that 1 in 7 adolescents experience mental health challenges, and high stress levels are known to impact memory, concentration, and emotional regulation. Here is an article exploring mental health of adolescents.

What I’ve seen in practice…

When young people feel overwhelmed, whether from anxiety, trauma, or pressure, they often struggle to engage.

This might look like avoidance, hesitation, or low motivation.

But this behaviour is not laziness.

It is communication.

A signal that something deeper needs support.

Understanding pressure beyond the classroom

Many young people, especially from African and immigrant backgrounds, carry strong expectations around education.

Success is often tied to stability, financial security, and making family proud.

At the same time, they may be struggling with the content, fearing disappointment, or linking their grades to their self-worth.

Comments like “Why not a Grade 9?” or “What happened to the other 30%?” can increase anxiety, even when they are doing their best.

When you add peer comparison, school systems, cost of living pressures, and neurodivergence, it becomes clear:

There is always more beneath the behaviour we see.

What can we do as adults?

Start with presence.

Listen without judgement.
Create space for them to express themselves.
Ask how they are before asking about exams.

Support them in ways that work for them.
Celebrate effort, not just results.
Remind them their value is not defined by grades.

Don’t compare their abilities to another person and allow them room to learn without pressure

Practical support matters too

Early support, exam accommodations, and having a safe, quiet space to study can make a real difference. Sometimes even a change of environment, like a library or café, helps.

A psychotherapy perspective

Ruth Abban is a Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, Service Lead and Racial Equity Consultant who has worked with many young people of the Global Majority, and highlights how racial and cultural pressures can heighten anxiety, especially during exam periods.

She is on the UK Black Stars List of the most influential British-Ghanaians, and speaks internationally on racial equity in mental health, supporting Black women across the world to reclaim their voice, vision, and victory.

To me, she is also like family, my sister-friend, and someone whose work truly reflects who she is – compassionate, intentional, and deeply impactful.

Her work brings insight into how exam and performance pressure uniquely affects Black teens and women, where identity, expectation, and lived experience intersect.

 “In my work, I’ve seen that many Black young people are sitting exams for paths they never chose. Many have been taught that excellence is often narrowly defined – doctor, lawyer or something that sounds ‘right’ at family gatherings – alongside the pressure of ‘Black Excellence’. True excellence is self-defined. When caregivers begin to ask ‘what are your strengths?’ instead of assuming who they should become, that is when young people truly flourish.”

A personal reflection

During my GCSEs, I found balance and support through studying with friends, using visual learning like mind maps, expressing myself through drama, and getting support from private tutors.

That balance made a difference.

Instead of asking:
“Why aren’t they trying harder?”

Ask:
“What might they be carrying?”

Because when young people feel safe, seen, and supported,
they don’t just perform better; they thrive.

If this resonates with you…

Send a message via LinkedIn (click the icon at the top): linkedin.com/in/adeolaosundiya

Or engage in the comments section

To find out more about Ruth’s work, see below:

Website: https://psychotherapywithruth.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ruthabban