Youth mental health charity YoungMinds said calls to its helpline from concerned parents of A-level pupils have shot up by around 12 per cent over the past year.
Lucie Russell, director of campaigns and policy at YoungMinds, said parents are asking for advice on how to help their children cope with exam stress.
"For many young people, the increase in tuition fees will make university prohibitively expensive," she explained. "So they feel under great pressure to get top grades first time round – retakes are not an option as this is the final year of lower tuition fees before they increase."
She added that the poor economic climate is contributing to the strain for many pupils. "Young people are not only faced with the pressure to get to university but they also know there are very few jobs out there," she said.
"With record youth unemployment young people know they are facing a highly competitive job market, a scramble for university places and generally dismal futures."
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