Kent Hinkson, Utah Valley University
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression both have individually strong relationships with academic performance and achievement. However, when considered together, the combination is associated with worse measures than either condition alone. Recently it has been suggested that student veterans may have elevated rates of PTSD and depression, which makes these conditions points of particular interest when looking factors that affect achievement and performance in school.
To date, no studies have examined academic performance among the student service member population. This study hypothesized that PTSD and depression would be associated with lower GPA and more frequent academic problems. Participants included 422 college student service members/veterans attending universities and colleges throughout the United States whom each took an anonymous online survey.
Results were analyzed using calculated descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, intercorrelations, etc), generalized linear regression, and correlations. Findings show that a number of factors affect GPA and academic achievement among the participants including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and academic problems such as skipping classes, frequency of turning in late assignments, earning lower grades than expected, and failing exams.
Student service members/veterans face many of the same hurdles as other students. Especially considering the recent reports that the severity of these symptoms increase with combat exposure, of which a larger number of veterans are returning to school with. This study suggests that they may need extra attention in the academic world in order to help them deal with a higher frequency of debilitating effects from the associated risks for PTSD and depression.