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Niall Carson/PA Wire
UK News

Church releases prayer amid increase in exam anxiety

by Antony Bushfield

There were 1,127 counselling sessions related to exam results stress in 2015-16 - up from 937 the previous year, according to new figures from the charity Childline.

Jesus,
Keep reminding me of the bigger picture over the next few weeks,
Keep me in your hands when all other hands disappear,
For I am convinced that neither entry requirements nor exam results,
neither anticipation nor doubts, neither success nor failure, nor any expectations,
neither last minute fears nor anxieties, nor anything else in life, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Please, don't let me forget it!
Amen

A quarter of sessions took place in August, which is the same month that grades are published. A-level results will be announced on Thursday and GCSE results will be released next week.

Ahead of the results being announced the Church encouraged people to pray for young people waiting for news.

"As thousands of students across the country await exam results that will determine the next stage in their life's development, the Church of England has issued a prayer to support them through the anxious moments of waiting," a press release said.

Girls were five times more likely to contact the helpline than boys, the findings show.

Many of those who got in touch said they were worried about disappointing their parents, had a fear of failure, or were suffering under the pressure linked to academic achievement.

The stress can affect young people's ability to sleep, cause depression and eating disorders or trigger anxiety attacks, Childline said.

One 15-year-old boy who contacted the charity said he feels like he will "explode" waiting for his GCSE results next week.

"I have really high expectations and want to do really well, but I'm scared that I was so stressed doing my exams that I might not have done my best," he told Childline.

"I can't sleep most nights because I'm constantly thinking about my results and feel like I've wasted my summer because this has been in the back of my mind the whole time. I don't want to feel like a failure."

 
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