Mental health experts are advocating for a more thorough approach to helping students who are under test pressure in the wake of the death of a 19-year-old girl in Lagos who allegedly committed suicide after learning her results from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Monday.
According to reports, Timilehin was from Abeokuta, Ogun State, and lived in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos State, with her older sibling when she committed suicide. She claimed to have received a score of 190 on the recently released 2025 UTME results, which she felt was less than her score from the previous year.
While mental health professionals called for a coordinated approach to ensure the wellness of pupils, many community members voiced their sorrow and blamed the examination body for the occurrence. Psychotherapist and Emotion Compass Academy founder Michael Jacob emphasized in an interview on Tuesday that a student’s academic achievement should never be a proxy for their self-worth.
“To any student who is currently feeling depressed, please realize that a number on a result slip does not define who you are.
“The UTME is just one of several doors. Another door will open if that one closes, but you have to be present to pass through it, Jacob stated.
“Failing a test does not mean you are a failure,” Jacob said. It indicates that you are a person. It indicates that you made an effort. It also indicates that you are continuously learning. Compassion and a plan are what you need right now, not punishment or self-loathing.
He also suggested that instead of suffering in silence, young people should ask for support.
“The most crucial thing is to avoid suffering in silence when emotional agony becomes intolerable. Consult a trusted individual, such as a teacher, parent, therapist, or counselor. Speaking is not a sign of weakness. Seeking assistance is not a sign of failure. It’s actually among the bravest and strongest things you can do,” he remarked.
Patricia Udosen, a mental health psychologist, also emphasized the tremendous pressure adolescents experience before tests and the potentially disastrous consequences of not meeting expectations.
The disappointment of falling short of expectations may be devastating, and the pressure to perform can be unbearable.
But it’s important to keep in mind that failure does not mean the end of the road. Students can come out stronger and more resilient if they have the correct attitude and assistance, according to Udosen.
She urged pupils to deal with their feelings in a healthy way and ask for help when they needed it.
“It’s normal to feel sad, frustrated, or disappointed after experiencing failure,” she stated. Speaking with dependable family members, friends, or a counselor can offer important support and direction.
Speaking to parents, Udosen urged them to provide emotional support to their kids and urged them to show empathy and reassurance.
“Listen to your child without passing judgment and validate their emotions,” she cautioned. Pay attention to their perseverance and effort rather than just the outcome. Encourage their mental health and remind them that failure is a necessary step on the path to success rather than the end.
Hammed Lateefat, a clinical psychologist, also emphasized the necessity of normalizing failure as a natural part of life.
“They should be aware that we all make mistakes in life, and they shouldn’t let that impact their mental health,” she said. “They should examine their shortcomings and never give up, rather than focusing on the failure.”
On Monday, JAMB declared that it was examining the recently released 2025 UTME results in response to a great deal of criticism from parents and students.
The board responded to the “significant volume of unusual complaints” it received following the results’ announcement on Friday by speeding up its annual system review, a thorough post-mortem of the examination process, in a statement provided by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin.
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