David Brookes spends most of his time with the European Space Agency in Germany, helping mission command engineers deal with job pressures. Now his services are increasingly being sought by secondary schools worried about their pupils' state of mind at exam time. A study carried out by Mr Brookes shows that nine out of 10 students taking GCSEs this summer are suffering sleepless nights and nerves, even though the exams are several months away. Three-quarters of pupils said their minds had gone blank during an exam or test and 52 per cent admitted to suffering panic attacks. Some pressure is not a bad thing because it can be used as a positive force to drive the person on to success, particularly if the exam is seen as a stepping stone to better things.
Negative stress is the problem.
The sufferer feels there is no hope and distress creeps in. Everyone tells them they must succeed to get good jobs. There are also pressures on teachers. Their performance is increasingly measured by the success of the children.