An overwhelming majority of students at local high schools say school-related pressures cause them the most stress and that school officials don't do enough to help them cope, according to a survey prepared by a youth advisory committee to Rep. Mike Honda.
The survey findings are "scary," said KC Ham, an 18-year-old senior from Presentation High School in San Jose who is a member of Honda's committee, established to provide a youth perspective on national issues.
"A lot said they didn't have contact with or very little interest from counselors — and if they had it, it wasn't helping," Ham said. "That it wasn't working was sad and troubling."
Without proper help or understanding from adults, she said, teens "turn to a lot of different things to cope, and they're not usually the right things."
Drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, sleep problems, conflicts with parents and friends and, in extreme cases, suicide can all be linked to some kind of stress, Ham said.
The survey of 180 students found 75 percent attribute the stress they face from school-related activities and more than 60 percent said school officials don't take effective measures to deal with student stress. The survey also found that 68 percent claimed to know someone who has suffered serious consequences as a result of stress
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