A programme at a high school in Nghệ An Province to help students deal with academic pressure and school violence. — VNA/VNS Photo Bích Huệ

Students these days tend to exhaust themselves with extra projects and activities simply to add more lines to their résumés.

Huyền is a 20-year-old undergraduate in charge of three clubs at her university. She is so occupied with projects and extracurricular activities that she often skips breakfast and gets just five hours of sleep a day.

"In addition to the work I do in the clubs, I also organise events and perform as an MC," she said.

She squeezes it all into her tightly packed schedule to make her résumé more impressive when applying for a job. However, years of overstretching herself have begun to take a toll on her health.

Burnt out, unable to concentrate, and tormented by unexplained abdominal pain, she was rushed to the emergency room a few weeks ago to be diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding.

Doctors told her that her habit of skipping meals and work-related stress was the cause of her condition.

Ngọc is another undergraduate working to the detriment of her health to polish her résumé.

She has participated in two clubs and engaged in lots of extracurricular activities since her first year at university. Returning home late, she has just enough time to grab a quick sandwich before diving into other work until midnight.

"There was a time when I simultaneously was in two clubs, worked as an intern, and taught extra classes, in addition to my regular coursework," said Ngọc.

Sitting in front of the computer from 8pm to midnight has become her daily routine. Sometimes, she falls asleep while working because of fatigue. On her busiest days, she sleeps only five hours and has just one meal.

Once she was so worn out that she had to go to bed at 9pm and couldn't wake up until 5pm the next day. The unprecedented 20-hour sleep marked a turning point when she realised it was time for a change.

"At that very moment I looked at all the things I had to do and decided to cut them by 30 per cent," said Ngọc.

Diving into lots of extracurricular activities only to find oneself overwhelmed with work is common among Generation Z. They are aware of their health taking a hit, but see it as a trade-off for their future.

"Improving myself and polishing my résumé is the only way to secure a good job after graduation," said Huyền.

"Plus, my family has great expectations for me, so I have to try even harder."

Even when she began to feel extremely tired and something weird going on with her body, she told herself: "Stay tough for four more years and everything will be fine."

Chi, an undergraduate at the University of Social Science and Humanities, believes that CV polishing is not the only reason behind the obsession with extracurricular activities. She cites peer pressure as another reason for young people to burn the candle at both ends.

"When someone shares an impressive achievement on social media, many Generation Z people blindly make it their goal to outdo the person," said Chi.

Nguyễn Minh Hà, a psychological expert, believes that work addiction among young people can be attributed to external factors, including high expectations from their parents.

His recent survey shows that many people work round the clock only to seek recognition from their families.

Dương Minh Tâm, a doctor at the National Institute of Mental Health, Bạch Mai Hospital, is concerned about the increasing number of students seeking help for stress and depression.

When he surveyed students aged 10 to 19 between 2019 and 2020, he found that more than half (55.6 per cent) of the respondents suffered from mental distress associated with academic, family and peer pressure.

Stress and depression were most prevalent among those from 14 to 17, who had to study hard for transitional exams.

"Notably, stress is more common in youngsters with good academic results because they are more aware of the expectations from their parents and teachers," said Tâm.

According to UNICEF Vietnam, mental issues stemming from academic and extracurricular pressures are the most significant burden for adolescents.

A recent UNICEF survey shows that 20 per cent of adolescents experience mental distress, but only 8.4 per cent get support for their emotional and behavioural problems. Only 5.1 per cent of parents acknowledge that their children need help to deal with their problems.

Tâm said parents must notice early signs of stress in their children and help them overcome it before it becomes a big problem. When young people feel depressed, they might seem worried, have trouble concentrating, and easily get upset. Others might feel tired and get headaches or stomach-aches.

Families and schools should pay attention to adolescents by talking with them to understand their feelings and not put too much pressure on them. For those with anxiety, doctors might give them medicine or other treatments to help them feel better.

Hà said many parents are so busy these days that they either do not have enough time or use words that don't work to talk with their children.

"Encouraging words from their families and teachers really help to ease their stress," said Hà. VNS