According to an article in The Observer, depression has exploded among French youth with increases of up to a third in the past decade.

Recent studies show that among young people aged from 12 to 18, 9 per cent of boys and 22 per cent of girls show signs of depression and anxiety - three times the total in 1993. For the older adolescents the levels are even higher, with an increase to 14 per cent among boys and 35 per cent among girls aged 17 to 18.

Apparently, this stress is not only due to exams and prospective employment, but also to the values of the country, about the attitude to the state and the individual, about profound elements of the French identity.

Just have a look at this article, which is not too difficult to understand.

And for the exams, the best solution not to stress is to work regularly. So, when the time comes, you know you are ready!