High school exam stress spikes mental health incidents

It's exam time for thousands of high school students in B.C. and that means more students than normal will need mental health intervention to deal with the stress.

Helen Edwards, the clinical coordinator with the Early Psychosis Intervention Program at Fraser Health says some students can't cope and experience their first psychotic break.

In an average month, the program receives 20 cases, but Edwards says that number rises this time of year by about 67 percent.

"We tend to see a significant decrease in functioning among young adults who are going through their psychotic breaks," says Edwards.

"They isolate. They withdraw. They are unable to communicate as well as they used to. Their grades become poorer than usual. Their hygiene gets ignored."

If left untreated, some young adults may try to cope with the anxiety through drugs and alcohol use, but early intervention can make mental illness more manageable in the future, she says.

She says the stigma of mental illness remains a barrier, but medical treatment can be as simple as proper sleep, diet and more support from family and friends.