Helpline rings non-stop as students & parents anxiety spikes after Inter results

Hyderabad: Soon after the Intermediate results were announced on Tuesday, Tele MANAS, Telangana, was ringing non-stop as anxious students and parents sought help.
The helpline saw a 650% increase in the number of calls on Tuesday and Wednesday regarding the Intermediate exams.
Counsellors said that while students were calling to learn how to cope with failure, parents were worried about their child's performance in the exams and more concerned about what friends and relatives would think of the results.
"In the last two days, we have received over 150 calls each from distressed Intermediate students and their parents. These are serious calls, not just enquiries about supplementary exams or how to prepare. If we add these, the number would easily be around 280-300," said Jawaharlal Nehru P, senior psychologist at Tele MANAS, Telangana, adding that on a normal day they hardly get 20 calls from students.
He said many students come to them saying they are in a state of confusion after seeing their results as they have either failed in one or two subjects or have not got the expected marks. "We are motivating them not to lose hope and to prepare well for the advanced supplementary exams so that they can clear them in May," he added, noting that it is the parents who are more stressed and worried than the students.
The helpline, based at the Institute of Mental Health in Erragadda, has a staff of about 14. While they usually work in six-hour shifts, on the day of the results and on Wednesday they had to be at the centre for 12 hours to help those in need.
Even NGOs running helplines said they had seen a threefold increase in emergency calls from students during the exam and results season. "The most common concerns of students include academic pressure, anxiety and feeling emotionally overwhelmed, often without adequate support," said Swarna Raju, director of NGO Roshni.
She added that it was important for students to feel safe to reach out, whether to family, teachers or a helpline like Roshni's. "We are here to listen without judgement," she assured.
The psychologists said parents should be careful in the next few days and look out for subtle changes in their children. They advised not to leave them alone or compare them with other children.