Swindon charity highlights mental health as thousands of teenagers take GCSEs
Last year, over 5.8 million students across the UK took part in the exams
Last updated 12th May 2025
A Swindon charity is calling on teenagers to prioritise their mental health this GCSE period.
Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind say they have been seeing an increasing number of young people struggle with exam stress and anxiety in recent years.
In 2024, 11% of 16 to 18-year-olds in England missed more than 15 days of school in a term due to mental health difficulties.
Judith Vosper from Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind told Greatest Hits Radio: “I see patterns changing, so I see a lot more stress and anxiety in younger people than ever before.
“And I think a lot of this is like the tail end of Covid. Students taking GCSEs now would have been Year Six, which is your final year of primary school, when Covid kicked in. They didn't have any of the fun of finishing primary school and then when they went to secondary school, it wasn't a normal way of induction into Year Seven.
“We always talk about COVID as having a long tail and I really think that's had an impact on young people and that's part of why there's so much stress and anxiety in school and around exams.”
Five Ways to Wellbeing
To prevent stress and anxiety from taking over during the revision period, Swindon & Gloucestershire Mind suggest sticking to what they call the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ – five easy techniques or measures to include into daily routines which will contribute to a better work-life balance and a calmer mind.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing include:
- Connecting – Staying in touch with others
- Keeping physically active – Any activity you enjoy for a few minutes a day
- Mindfulness – Taking a step back to become aware of what is happening around you
- Preparation – Increases self esteem
- Giving back – Doing small acts of kindness for others
On top of this, eating and sleeping well, drinking water and taking time away from screens can help improve signs of anxiety and stress.
Ms. Vosper also shared some advice on short-term coping techniques that can help during the exams themselves.
“It's very difficult if you get into an exam and then you start panicking. We would always advocate breathing. You can do your box breathing, which is breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four. If you can focus on that, that will automatically calm you down.
“Other examples might be, you might look at people and think ‘I can't do anything, I can't do anything’. Try and take a step back. Just put the paper down and breathe and think for five minutes. And then sort of plan in your head or write down notes about how you might tackle the question.
“And if you don't know everything then you know focus on what you do know.”
For parents, she advises to trust their children to know which studying techniques work best for them individually and be support them through offering to help them revise or bringing them snacks and drinks to keep their energy levels up.