How Hong Kong’s teenagers can avoid exam stress: expert’s tips on handling the pressure

The IB Diploma Programme and I/GCSE mock exams begin this month, and Hong Kong’s teenagers will be preparing themselves for the challenges ahead, but as students return to the classroom post-holidays, many of them are feeling under pressure.

Australian psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg offers tips for parents and teachers on how to recognise when children are struggling, and how best to offer support.

Children in Hong Kong are raised to excel, not to be happy, and experts say that is worrying

“We are probably teaching the most vulnerable generation of young people ever,” says Carr-Gregg. Indeed, being a teenager today is fraught with challenges that previous generations just didn’t have to deal with, from social media and ever-present technology, to growing pressures from school, family and society.

According to Carr-Gregg, research conducted in Australia shows that “[teenagers’] number one worry is coping with stress, their number two worry is coping with school and study, and their number three worry is body image.” Hong Kong’s young people are particularly susceptible to mental health challenges; based on statistics from Hong Kong’s 2017 Mental Health Review Report, almost one in six adolescents are experiencing difficulty with their mental health.

Teens face more risk factors than ever before, such as parents who are separated or often not at home, low self-esteem, bullying and harassment.