Examining The Impact of the Neet Exam on Stress, Anxiety & Home Environment

Abstract

This study looks into the varied impact of NEET exam preparation on the mental well-being and home environment of Class 12 students in the semi-urban areas of Madurai and Sivaganga districts of Tamil Nadu. Based on a sample of 300 students, the study explores five salient independent stressors - "academic load, parental pressure, coaching intensity, peer competition, and social isolation" and their effects on "academic stress, exam anxiety, and emotional exhaustion”. Perception of their "home environment" by students was assessed as the primary outcome variable. NEET examination preparation was found to have strongly negative implications for students' psychological well-being, resulting in higher academic stress, anxiety, and emotional burnout levels. These mental results, in turn, were found to disrupt family relationships, lower emotional warmth within the household, and increase tension at home. Among the stressors, parents’ pressure and peer competition were also proven to be the most emotionally draining, and social isolation was revealed to be a robust predictor of emotional fatigue. Mediation analysis also confirmed that psychological distress is a significant mediator between the quality of the home environment and exam pressure. The study highlights the imperative need for parent education, support systems for emotional well-being, and equitable academic frameworks to safeguard the welfare of students while preparing them for NEET.