Almost 59,000 students are doing the Leaving Cert this year, however research has shown that levels of stress can be high among these young people, with some believing that ‘their whole life depends on' their results.

Researchers from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) analysed surveys and interviews involving 900 sixth-year students in 12 post-primary schools. They found that young people were very concerned about how they would perform in exams and often became stressed at the thought that they would not achieve their goals.

Because of the role the exam has in deciding entry to third-level education, some felt that ‘their whole life depends on it'.

Levels of stress were found to be especially high among girls. Almost 40% of girls admitted to ‘losing sleep with worry', while 50% said they felt ‘constantly under strain or pressure'.

Some students felt overly pressurised by teachers because they constantly highlighted the importance of the exams. Others worried about what their peers would think of them.

"However, possibly the main source of pressure was the young person's own desire to do well in the exam," the researchers noted.

Meanwhile, the research also found that a student's prior academic performance could add to stress, with high achievers and ambitious students often feeling the greatest strain.

While some stress is common, the researchers said that schools could work to reduce it. They noted that students who had more positive interactions with their teachers, and who received regular positive feedback, had lower stress levels overall.

Not surprisingly, those with negative peer experiences, e.g. students who had been bullied, were found to be more stressed.

The research pointed out that many students reduced their social activities, including sport, to study more in sixth year. However, those who continued to take part in school-based sports on a regular basis were less stressed.

The research also found that students who were not happy with their subject choices or who regretted choosing certain subjects, were more stressed, ‘highlighting the importance of students receiving the guidance necessary to make well-informed choices at senior cycle level'.

As well as the exams themselves, students also face applying for third level education and those who felt that it was ‘too early to decide on a future career' tended to be more stressed.

"The results point to the need for further debate on the nature of assessment at senior cycle. In the interim, the findings show that schools can play a role in reducing stress by promoting positive interactions between teachers and students, reducing bullying, encouraging sports participation and facilitating subject choice," the ESRI researchers said.

The findings were published in the Journal of Youth Studies and were summarised in an ESRI Research Bulletin.