Board Exam Season: A Psychiatrist’s Advisory for Parents on Protecting Student Mental Health - By Dr Jagjot Singh

Dr Jagjot Singh

Ludhiana, March 09, 2026 (News Team): Board examinations are often viewed as a defining academic milestone. However, from a psychiatrist’s lens, they are equally a period of heightened emotional vulnerability. During exam season, many students do not struggle because they are unprepared, but because they feel overwhelmed, isolated, or afraid of disappointing their families. The most powerful protective factor during this time is not tuition or test series, it is parental support.

Parents can actively reduce exam-related distress by focusing on the following:
1. Normalize efforts over outcomes

• Reinforce that marks do not determine identity or lifelong success.
• Acknowledge consistency, discipline and sincerity.
• Avoid comparisons with peers or relatives.

Children who feel valued beyond performance are less likely to internalize fear of failure.
2. Safeguard sleep and structure

• Ensure at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
• Discourage last-minute overnight cramming.
• Maintain a calm, predictable home environment.

Sleep deprivation worsens anxiety, irritability and poor concentration.
3. Recognize early warning signs

• Sudden withdrawal or silence
• Frequent tearfulness or irritability
• Loss of appetite or sleep disturbance
• Expressions of hopelessness or excessive self-criticism

These are not signs of laziness; they may indicate emotional overload.
4. Encourage regulated breaks

• Support short daily walks or light physical activity.
• Allow brief, healthy social interaction.
• Avoid framing rest as lack of seriousness.

Breaks reset the nervous system and improve retention.
5. Create a psychologically safe space at home

• Ask open-ended, non-threatening questions.
• Listen without immediately correcting or advising.

Avoid discussing consequences during moments of visible stress.

“During board exams, children are not just studying textbooks, they are battling fear of failure, fear of judgment, and sometimes fear of losing parental approval. What they need most is a psychologically safe space at home. A safe space is where a child can say, ‘I’m scared’ without being told to be stronger, where they can admit they are struggling without being compared, and where their effort is acknowledged even if outcomes are uncertain. When parents replace pressure with presence, and criticism with curiosity, they strengthen resilience far more than any coaching class ever can.” says Dr Jagjot Singh, Consultant, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Ludhiana

If distress persists, marked by insomnia, emotional numbness, withdrawal, or hopeless thoughts, timely consultation with a counsellor or psychiatrist can prevent long-term consequences. Board exams are temporary. A child’s emotional health is enduring. This exam season, let reassurance, stability and unconditional support be the true markers of success.