The Relationship Among Anxiety, Depression, and Academic Performance

The transition from high school into college can seem daunting for some students as they are expected to comply with the higher demands of their academic life. Not only are students required to comply with these demands, but some students may have anxiety or depression which can create a bigger boundary for students to achieve academic success. According to Owens et al. (2012), Anxiety and depression are linked to lower academic performance. It is proposed that academic performance is reduced in young people with high levels of anxiety or depression as a function of increased test-specific worry that impinges on working memory central executive processes. Mental health disorders are the second leading cause of years lived with a disability, accounting for 7% of disability-adjusted life years (Manago & Krendl, 2022). Approximately 40% of college students screen positive for clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders (Conley et al., 2020) and Southern Adventist University provides mental health services for students who may feel overwhelmed because of classes or because of life’s challenges