Cathedral Catholic High School student Rosie Cronin ’18 arrives to school every morning with a racing heart and sweaty hands, feeling nervous and stressed about coping in social situations and completing homework.

“When the school year starts, my anxiety level rises a lot,” Cronin said. “Just the thought of all the tests and homework I’m going to have makes me very nervous.”

And Cronin is not alone.

According to the Nuffield Foundation, a non-profit organization in England that seeks to improve social well-being through education, research, and innovation, anxiety levels in 15-16 year old teens have doubled in the last 30 years, from 1 in 30 to 2 in 30 for boys and 1 in 10 to 2 in 10 for girls.

The increasing demands of high school rests at the crux of the issue.

Cronin said she always has had trouble dealing with the stress and pressure of school. Despite earning decent grades, Cronin said the amount of stress and anxiety that comes with school sometimes affects her well-being.

“Sometimes I don’t even want to come to school,” Cronin said. “The anxiety becomes so horrible that I just want to stay at home and sleep.”

School-related anxiety is not uncommon in many school-aged children and teens.

According to The National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety affects more than 1 in 8 children. From ages 13-18, more than 25 percent of teenagers suffer from anxiety.

Sleep deprivation is one of the main causes of high stress levels in teens.  According to the American Psychological Association, teens are more likely to have lower stress levels when they get the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. However, the majority of teens fail to meet that minimum.

On top of rising stress levels, psychologists explain it is natural to feel anxious when it comes to areas in life one cannot control.

“We get really anxious about things we don’t control as much, and we’re less anxious about things we control,” CCHS Psychology teacher Mr. Frank Caro said. “Grades are one of those things where we assume we have a little bit of control, but at the same time, I don’t know how it’s going to pan out, and students have a lot of insecurity about that.”

The Mayo Clinic explains that anxiety is a condition recognized by psychologists through analysis of the patients’ signs of nervousness, increased heart rate, hyperventilation, trouble concentrating, and trouble sleeping. Stress manifests itself in a similar fashion, but it can also include headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and lack of motivation.

Because many students suffer from anxiety as a result of school-related stress, CCHS offers many services for students who are feeling stressed and anxious, including Campus Ministry.

“Campus Ministry provides opportunities almost every week for individuals who are struggling with anxiety,” Campus Ministry teacher Mrs. Sandy Blackstone-Gardner said. “One of those activities is daily mass. In addition to that, every second Tuesday we have an XLT night.”

XLT nights, one of which took place last Thursday night, are one of the many ways students can get together as a faith community.

“It’s a great way to release any anxiety you have and grow together as a community,” Mrs. Blackstone-Gardner said.

Currently, the counseling department is reevaluating additional services and programs to assist students based on individual needs as large group counseling sessions were not well attended last year, Dean of Counseling and Wellness Ashley Bascom said.

In the meantime, Mr. Caro and Mrs. Blackstone-Gardner suggest that many teachers and faculty members are there to help and comfort their students, which student Cronin appreciates in helping her deal with anxiety.

“Knowing that I have teachers, the Campus Ministry department, and all my friends really helps to comfort me,” Cronin said.