The Relationship between Depression and College Academic Performance.

Abstract

The current study examined the association between self-reported depressive symptomology and college academic performance. A significant, negative relationship was found between depression and academic performance. Furthermore, students presenting with moderate levels of depressive symptoms demonstrated lower performance within academic environments compared to those with normal and minimal levels of depression. Results suggest a need for appropriate screening measures and interventions aimed at decreasing moderate depressive symptoms that have the potential to adversely impact academic performance. ********** According to the National Institute of Mental Health (1999), depression affects approximately 19 million American adults each year. Unfortunately, depression is one of the more common mental health conditions documented on college campuses across the United States (Smith, Rosenstein, & Granass, 2001 ; Wong & Whitaker, 1993). Depression is estimated to affect nearly 50% of the college student population (Furr, Westefeld, McConnell, & Jenkins, 2001). Although many variables may contribute to students' depressive symptoms, the most common factors involve academic performance, social stressors, financial problems, and the adjustment inherent in the transition from a family setting to a college environment. Although attending college is commonly viewed as a positive experience, a dramatic increase in stress among college students has been noted over the last 20 years (Abouserie, 1994; Sax, 1997). According to Weber, Metha, and Nelson (1997) college students presenting with symptoms of depression commonly cite college-related stress as a major contributing factor. College students are exposed, sometimes abruptly, to a host of novel academic stressors, including time constraints, increased writing demands, and management of multiple deadlines. These students are expected to take on demanding academic tasks, while simultaneously adjusting to the realities of college life. Not surprisingly, a circular relationship evolves, in which academic pressures and depression may intensify one other (Heiligenstein & Guenther, 1996). Results from several studies validate that the incidence of depression among college students has become increasingly prevalent. Vrendenburg, O'Brien, and Krames (1988) found that depressed students experiencing academic stressors unique to college life reported an increase in intensity and frequency of depressive symptoms upon college entry. Oswalt and Finkelberg's (1995) study found that 90% of their sample (N = 149) considered themselves as moderately depressed since arrival to college. A more recent study (Furr, Westefeld, McConnell, & Jenkins, et al 2001) involving 1,455 college students at four different colleges and universities indicated that 53% of the students surveyed reported experiencing depressive symptoms since beginning college. Academic problems (e.g. grades) were cited as the most frequent cause of depression. Research documenting depressive symptomology within the academic environment has suggested the need for the development of effective counseling interventions that concentrate on enhancing psychological adjustment in order to improve academic performance. To date, little research has been conducted to systematically examine the relationship between depression and specific academic performance in a college setting. The conclusions of the limited number of studies in this area are mixed. Results from a 1988 study examining depression in medical students found that depressed mood had no impact on semester grades (Clark, Daugherty, Zeldow, Gotterer, & Hedeker, 1988). A study, using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, found that depressed mood contributed significantly to grade point average of college students (Haines, Norris, & Kashy, 1996). Heiligenstein and Guenther (1996) also reported that college students' display of moderate levels of depression might place them at increased risk for academic impairment. …

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