12th May 2026

From the moment we begin formal education, it’s drilled into us that the exams we take at the end of high school will be the most important factor in determining our futures. Years of education, hopes and aspirations are distilled down to a handful of hours in spring. All to ensure that, when we receive the results letter at the beginning of August, our dreams will not be ‘crushed’.

It is no surprise then, that for countless teenagers across Scotland, the period leading up to exams can be one of intense psychological distress. From depression and anxiety in study leave to panic attacks in exam halls, it’s clear that the mental effects of our exam system leave many young people in a position where they desperately need help. 

However, the severity of the struggles faced by young people contrasts with the education system’s limited provision of support.

Young people are offered assemblies on resilience and mindfulness pamphlets, which doesn’t feel quite enough. If pupils are looking for extra help, they can speak to a pastoral or guidance teacher. These staff members can be supportive and well intentioned, but pupils may hesitate to bring concerns directly to teachers who play multiple roles within the school and are so closely associated with the system which creates their distress.

This is why schools need mental health link workers. The purpose of a link worker is to see the whole person, and help them to identify and understand the support that they require. They can then act as a bridge between education and more specialist support, whether that be for mental health specifically, or from other stressors in their life at that point, such as bereavement, relationships, or financial pressures.

We wouldn’t expect a maths teacher to also act as a campus police officer, so neither should it be considered reasonable for the school to be the sole provider of mental health support.

The mental wellbeing of young people should be considered important enough to warrant dedicated staff.

While link workers would not replace educational psychologists, school based counsellors, or the underfunded and overburdened Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), they would remove the pressure from teachers and the stigma from students. When a young person fails a prelim or is on the verge of a breakdown because of anxiety about their final exams, they don't need a lecture on study skills or a stress ball, they need a dedicated professional who can validate their fears and concerns and be the link to finding them the support that best suits their needs help them to cope.