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Doha, Qatar: Feelings of anxiety, sadness, tension and behavioural changes can be a normal part of adolescence and adjusting to a new school environment, but students may need psychological support when such changes persist for weeks and begin affecting their daily lives, academic performance or self-confidence, according to a school psychologist.
Aya Khamis, psychologist at Hind bint Utba Preparatory School for Girls, said parents and schools should pay particular attention when changes continue for two or three weeks or longer and start interfering with a student's emotions, ability to perform everyday tasks or confidence.
"When these indicators become persistent and begin affecting the student's daily life, emotions, ability to achieve or self-confidence, this is when we need to start seeking help," she said during an interview on Qatar TV.
Khamis noted that temporary anxiety or difficulty adjusting should not automatically be regarded as a psychological problem, particularly at the beginning of a new academic year.
Students entering a new educational stage may initially experience fear, anxiety or discomfort as they adjust to a different school environment and teaching system.
This can be particularly noticeable among students moving from primary to preparatory school.
"The preparatory stage is very much a transitional period," Khamis said, explaining that it coincides with puberty and adolescence and the accompanying physical, emotional, social and intellectual changes.
She said signs such as tension, anxiety, some social withdrawal and changes in relationships can occur during this period and may remain within the normal range as long as they are not persistent or seriously affecting the student's life.
The distinction between temporary adjustment and a problem requiring attention therefore depends not simply on the presence of an emotion, but on its duration and impact.
Khamis said students' psychological health has a direct bearing on concentration, comprehension, learning, achievement and their ability to develop positive relationships.
Schools, she added, are increasingly concerned not only with psychological health in a narrow sense but also with students' wellbeing, sense of psychological safety and overall quality of life.
At the beginning of the academic year, psychological preparation can continue through the first two weeks and, where needed, throughout the first month.
This period allows school staff to get to know new students, observe how they are adapting and establish positive relationships that strengthen their sense of belonging at school.
Parents also have an important role before and during the return to classrooms.
Khamis said schools communicate with parents through text messages, social media and other channels to help them prepare their children for the new academic year.
"The fundamental and primary role is played at home and within the family," she said, stressing that protecting children's psychological wellbeing is a shared responsibility between families and schools.
When should parents pay closer attention?
Changes in sleeping patterns, isolation, irritability, loss of interest, anxiety, declining academic performance, difficulty concentrating, persistent tiredness and loss of motivation can all warrant attention when they represent a sustained departure from a child's usual behaviour.
Khamis stressed that parents should not judge individual signs in isolation.
A teenager who occasionally feels sad, anxious or argumentative is not necessarily experiencing a psychological disorder.
The concern increases when changes persist and begin interfering with school, relationships, confidence or normal daily functioning.
Students themselves should also be encouraged to ask for support rather than waiting for difficulties to escalate.
Khamis noted that psychological specialists are available in Qatar's schools to support students and consult with parents. School specialists also have a responsibility to observe concerning indicators and communicate with families when intervention may be needed.
Khamis also highlighted the changing importance of friendships during adolescence, when young people's social circles often shift increasingly towards peers.
Friends can provide an important source of emotional support because students may feel that someone of a similar age understands their experiences without judging them.
During periods of academic pressure, family difficulties, anxiety or stress, teenagers may therefore turn first to close friends.
However, Khamis said parents should remain attentive to significant behavioural changes accompanying a teenager's friendships, particularly increased withdrawal from family or other substantial changes in behaviour.
Rather than responding by immediately confronting or isolating the teenager, she encouraged parents to maintain communication and understand the world in which their children interact.
That increasingly requires parents to understand social media, technology and the online interests that form a major part of life for younger generations.
She encouraged parents to build common ground with their children, creating a relationship in which children feel comfortable speaking about their concerns.
If what begins as a relatively manageable difficulty develops into a severe psychological crisis, professional support should be sought, she said.
For students struggling with the transition back to school, Khamis's message is therefore not that every period of anxiety requires professional intervention, but that persistent changes should not be ignored, particularly when they begin affecting how a student studies, socialises or functions in everyday life
