Authors: Alley Fausett, Megan Ritter Martin, Kristin Davenport, Malisa Brooks, Kent Hinkson
Mentors: Kent Hinkson, Malisa Brooks
Insitution: Utah Valley University
Background: University students oftentimes face challenges with well-being and mental health, including depression, anxiety, sleep problems, PTSD, and suicide ideation/behaviors. However, previous research in some areas such as depression and its impact on student’s academic performance has remained generally inconclusive because of the contradictory findings that have often been reported. For example, one study will find a moderate association between grade point average (GPA) and depression, while another will in turn fail to find a significant relationship. Thus, more research is needed beyond simple correlations between GPA and depression to understand possible mechanisms and pathways. The current research hypothesizes that depression symptoms will either not be related or be weakly related to GPA but will be significantly associated with several possible mediating variables such as “turning in assignments late”, “having withdrawn from a class”, and “being placed on academic probation.”
Methods: University students (n = 1,359) were recruited to participate in this study from dozens of universities across the United States in 2021. Data was collected anonymously and confidentially through a targeted online survey. Students were compensated with a $10 Amazon gift card for their participation. Zero order correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between variables of interest, which may lead to possible mediating pathways.
Results: No statistically significant correlation was observed between depression symptoms and academic performance among students. Yet, several other measures of academic performance beyond GPA were found to have negative relationships with depression including five questions of particular academic activity and items such as withdrawing from class, being placed on academic probation, etc. Further, the strength and significance of the relationship between depression symptoms and these measures of academic performance were stronger and more pronounced in those in their Freshman and Sophomore years. Additionally, the relationships were weaker during their Junior and Senior years, and practically non-existent in graduate programs.
Conclusion: In summary, our study contributes to the growing number of often-contradictory studies demonstrating a sometimes-yes, sometimes-no relationship between depression and GPA. However, our study goes beyond this binary comparison to explore other variables of academic performance and found several significant relationships that can help the field better understand the impacts of depression on student’s performance. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing mental health for better academic outcomes for university students. Implementing targeted support systems and interventions within educational institutions could benefit students’ overall well-being and improve academic performance.