Anxiety and School: A Growing Concern — and a Practical Way Forward

Anxiety has become an increasingly visible and pressing concern in schools. Teachers are seeing it in classrooms, counsellors are managing rising caseloads, and students themselves often describe school as a major source of stress rather than a place of safety or growth. While some level of anxiety is a normal part of learning and development, the scale and intensity now seen in schools suggest a broader systemic issue — not just individual struggle.

What the Research Tells Us About School and Anxiety

Research confirms what educators have been observing for years: anxiety among children and adolescents is both common and increasing.

Large-scale reviews and international studies frequently report that approximately one in four children and adolescents experience clinically significant anxiety symptoms, with higher rates observed in secondary school students and adolescents (Racine et al., 2021). Long-term global analyses tracking mental health trends from 1990 to 2021 show a substantial rise in anxiety disorders among youth aged 10–24, with increases exceeding 50% over that period (GBD 2021 Mental Disorders Collaborators, 2024).

School-related factors play a meaningful role. Academic pressure, performance evaluation, social comparison, bullying, and fear of failure are all strongly associated with elevated anxiety levels in students (OECD, 2019). Anxiety in school settings has been linked to reduced concentration, lower academic engagement, school avoidance, and long-term mental health risks if left unaddressed.

In short: anxiety is not rare, it is not limited to a small group of students, and it is not something schools can afford to ignore.

Why Traditional Approaches Often Fall Short

Many school-based approaches to anxiety focus on calming strategies, positive thinking, or trying to reduce uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. While these strategies can offer short-term relief, decades of psychological research suggest that attempts to suppress or control internal experiences often backfire. Studies on thought suppression show that trying not to think or feel something can actually increase its frequency and intensity (Wegner, 1994).

Research on experiential avoidance demonstrates that efforts to escape or control uncomfortable emotions are associated with greater psychological distress and the maintenance of anxiety over time (Hayes et al., 1996). Emotion suppression has also been linked to increased physiological stress, even when individuals appear outwardly calm (Gross & Levenson, 1997).

These findings are consistent with the ideas behind acceptance-based approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which focus not on eliminating anxiety but on helping individuals respond more flexibly to it.

ACT: A Research-Supported Alternative

ACT is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research showing it to be effective for anxiety disorders, with outcomes comparable to traditional cognitive-behavioural approaches (A-Tjak et al., 2015; Swain et al., 2013). One systematic review examining ACT for anxiety disorders found that ACT reliably improves functioning by targeting psychological flexibility rather than symptom elimination (Swain et al., 2013).

A more recent review focused specifically on ACT for anxiety disorders also summarizes the theoretical basis, clinical applications, research evidence to date, and how ACT-based exposure differs from classic CBT exposure (Arch et al., 2025).

Rather than aiming to eliminate anxiety, ACT focuses on building psychological flexibility — the ability to stay engaged in meaningful activities even when uncomfortable thoughts and feelings are present.

A major review of ACT for anxiety disorders highlights several key benefits particularly relevant to educational settings:

• Anxiety is treated as a normal human experience, not a problem to be fixed

• Students learn skills to notice and respond differently to anxious thoughts

• Emphasis is placed on values-guided action, not symptom reduction

• Coping skills are practical, transferable, and usable in real-world situations

This approach aligns well with the realities of school life, where stress, evaluation, and social challenges cannot simply be removed.

How RAD Builds on ACT for Schools

RAD is directly grounded in the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and translates them into a developmentally appropriate, school-friendly framework. Instead of asking students to feel better before they act, RAD teaches them how to:

• Recognize uncomfortable thoughts and feelings

• Accept that these experiences come and go

• Do what matters anyway, based on their values

This matters because students don’t need to wait until anxiety disappears to participate, learn, or connect. RAD provides realistic skills that help students engage with school and life as it actually is, not as we wish it were

By normalizing discomfort, teaching psychological flexibility, and anchoring behaviour in values, RAD offers schools a practical, evidence-informed way to respond to rising anxiety — without promising unrealistic outcomes or reinforcing avoidance.

Moving Forward

Anxiety in schools is real, widespread, and increasing: ignoring it or relying solely on symptom-reduction approaches isn’t enough. What students need are skills that help them function, engage, and grow even when school feels hard.

ACT-based approaches — and programs like RAD that bring them into classrooms — provide a realistic and compassionate path forward.

References

A-Tjak, J. G. L., et al. (2015). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems.

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84, 30–36.


Arch, J. J., Finkelstein, L. B., & Nealis, M. S. (2025). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Anxiety Disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 48(3), 443–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2025.02.003 (PubMed)


GBD 2021 Mental Disorders Collaborators. (2024). Global prevalence and burden of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, 1990–2021. The Lancet Psychiatry.


Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. (1997). Hiding feelings: The acute effects of inhibiting negative and positive emotion. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106(1), 95–103.


Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(6), 1152–1168.


OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives.


Racine, N., et al. (2021). Global prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during COVID-19. JAMA Pediatrics, 175.


Swain, J., et al. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 965–978.


Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychological Review, 101(1), 34–52.