New survey shows students under ‘overwhelming’ pressure

Friday, 1 December 2023

Christchurch high schoolers say they are under a huge amount of pressure, with some admitting the burden of performing well academically and pleasing their families had become relentless.

The Hornby Youth Voice Survey, showed results from over 300 Hornby High School students, with most saying they struggle hugely with pressure, mental health and not being heard by older generations.

Sofia Meduric, one of the Youth Leaders involved in the survey said there are so many things that young people have to juggle at high school.

“There’s lots of things that you need to be balancing out and that can definitely amplify the stresses that you have. That just gets too much for some people.”

Seventy per cent of survey respondents said they felt a relentless torrent of pressure, whether it be related to academic performance or family based expectations, and 75% said the impact of this pressure on their mental health was immense.

Carey Ewing, director of Te Whare Awhero, one of the organisations that was a part of the survey, said the pressure of future expectations for youth was huge.

“If you’re 15, 16, 17 or 18, taking that next step into employment or further education, my sense is that the escalator you’re stepping onto is getting faster and faster and faster.

“You’ve got to run to catch up to it, or you risk being left behind.”

One survey respondent said they frequently had “mental breakdowns”, while another said the pressure on them was “overwhelming for someone my age”.

“Life would be better if adults knew that it just gets harder and harder at school the older you get,” a year 7-8 student said. “The pressures increase and it sometimes feels [like] too much.”

Nearly one in four people aged 15 to 24 experienced high levels of psychological distress according to the Mental Health Foundation NZ in 2020.

Earlier this year The Press reported there were over 500 children on the waiting list for mental health support in Canterbury - with a wait of up to two years.

Christchurch councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt, head of the youth portfolio, said the results of the survey did not surprise him in the slightest.

“The point of the survey was to get those who were less engaged with our young people to understand exactly what goes through their lives.

“It was more of an eye opener for our older population to pick up their britches and start making commitments instead of complaining.”

Harrison-Hunt said the majority of respondents yearned for experiences and connection rather than material things.

He asked Hornby High School youth leaders what they would do with $100,000, and they asked for things like subsidised sports fees, school camps and free lunches for primary school children, he said.

“That there was an eye opener for me. It pulled on my heartstrings a bit.”

Ewing said older generations including himself needed to remember young people were just trying to get by.

“Young people are merely seeking and looking to cope with the world.

“If we’re concerned about things our young people are doing we may need to pause and have a look at the world we have created for them to live in.”

Harrison-Hunt thought the city needed to have a long look at the “massive holes” in support for the 10 to 24 age group, together with how spaces like bus exchanges, central support hubs and libraries could better cater to youth.

Meduric said older generations needed to think generously about her peers. “Not all students in stereotypical teenage years are no good… They do care about wanting to build relationships with people in their community.

“We’re all human, we’re not perfect and we’re still all learning about everything and how to become better people.”

The full results of the Hornby Youth Voice survey can be found here.