School performance anxiety
School performance anxiety is excessive anxiety related to academic evaluation situations — tests, assignments, presentations, and often the school environment as a whole. It is very common in children and adolescents and can significantly affect performance, learning, and well-being.
Risk factors include: family or school pressure for results, past failure experiences interpreted too harshly, perfectionism, and undiagnosed learning difficulties (such as ADHD or dyslexia) that make the school environment objectively more challenging.
Warning signs: frequent physical complaints (stomachache, headache) on test days, crying before assessments, mind going blank during tests despite knowing the material, or refusal to go to school.
💡 Practical example
Pedro studies hard and knows the material, but becomes so anxious during tests that his mind goes blank and his performance doesn't reflect what he actually knows. This reinforces the belief that he's 'going to fail the test' — increasing his anticipatory anxiety before the next one.
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