INTRODUCTION:

The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community" (WHO, 2005). An ill mental health in a student can adversely influence their quality of life, academic performance, physical health, satisfaction with college, and relationship with their peers and family.

Academic performance is the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects. Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation rates, and results from standardized tests. The mental health of adolescents is very important for schooling, in that it has the potential to influence academic achievements positively or negatively.

Tianshu Chu et.al (2022) conducted qualitative research with the objective of assessing impaired mental health status tends to be associated with poor academic performance in undergraduate students. The research design adopted for this study is correlational research design with a sample size of 1823 undergraduate students. The tools are perceived by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and Grade point average (GPA). The result shows that impaired mental health status in the first semester significantly predicted and increased the risk of poor academic performance among undergraduates during their overall undergraduate period. This association remains significant even with adjustment for healthy lifestyle behavior. The study concluded that a significant association between impaired mental health status and poor academic performance disappeared in the students with low lifestyle behavior risk.¹

Gokhan Bas (2020) conducted a meta-analysis of 13 studies to assess the relationship between mental health and academic achievement in adolescents. The present study adopted a meta-analysis model to combine data from independent studies to draw a single conclusion with greater statistical power. The data sources used were ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Schooler. The sample size is 44,595 adolescents. This study confirmed that there is a positive relationship between mental health and academic achievements. Also, it indicated that the mental health of adolescents is essential for schooling, in that it has the potential to influence academic achievements positively or negatively.²

Shagufta Zada et.al (2021) conducted a quantitative study with the objective of assessing the relationship between mental health problems and Pakistani University student's academic performance. The research design adopted for this study is a multistage sampling technique with a sample size of 540 senior semester students within the age range of 20-35 years. The tools are perceived by the Mental Health Continuum (MHC-SH) scale for mental health and cumulative Grade point average Scores (CGPA) for academic performance. Descriptive & inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. The results show that there is a positive association between mental health and improvement in academic performance, (1%) increase in mental health problems reduces students’ academic performance by (8.4%) in the case of Pakistan. The study concluded that less empirical attention has been paid to the effects of mental health on university students and academic performance, especially in Pakistan.³

Murkus J et.al (2021) conducted a quantitative search with the objective of assessing symptoms of mental illness and mental well-being associated with self-reported grades. The research design adopted for this Study is Convenience sampling with a sample size of 57.394 school students in 12 grades. The tools are perceived by the COMPASS student questionnaire, depressive symptoms are measured by epidemiologic studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD), and anxiety symptoms. are measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD7), and psychosocial well being assessed by Flourishing Scale (FS). The findings show that the effects of mental health factors were partially attenuated by educational behaviors, implying that while low-class attendance and poor homework adherence were associated with both academic outcomes and mental health, they do not fully account for the association between lower grades and poor mental health. The study concluded that the associations between mental health status on academic performance are partially attenuated by education behaviors.⁴

Duffy A et al, (2020) conducted a quantitative study with the objective of assessing predictors of mental health and academic outcomes in first-year Canadian university students, The sample size is 1530 students. The tools used for this study are the Brief Perceived Stress Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Social Support subscale of the Resiliency Scale for adolescents, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7). The results show that (28%) and (33%) screened positive for clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms in the first data collection respectively which increased to (36%) and (39%) in the second data collection at the completion of the first year. The study concluded that mental health symptoms are common and persistent among first-year university students and have a negative impact on academic performance and well-being.⁵

Yasser H Alnofaiey et. al (2023) conducted qualitative research with the objective of identifying the influence of Physical Activity on the mental health and academic performance of medical students. The research design used for this study is a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 2,819 students. The tools used for this study are the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The result shows that the prevalence of abnormal anxiety (45.3%) and depression level (31.6%) which were comparatively more prevalent among students of younger age. Students with abnormal anxiety levels had significantly lower grade point averages than others. The research concluded that low physical activity and high anxiety and depression levels were found to affect the academic performance of medical students.⁶

Jinwon Kim et.al (2022) conducted qualitative research with the objective of examining the utility of the Dual-Continua Model to understand the relationship between students' mental health and their adaptation to an online learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research design adopted for this study is a correlational study with a sample size of 2933 participants. The tools used for this study are Grade Point Average, Counselling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34, and Mental Health Continuum Short Form. The result shows that participants with mental illness showed higher levels of academic distress, poor academic performance, and lower levels of engagement in online learning than those without mental illness.⁷

Manikandan Srinivasan et.al (2022) conducted qualitative research with the objective of assessing the prevalence of psychological morbidity and its associated factors, among school-going adolescents in the higher secondary school of urban Puducherry. The research design adopted for this study is a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 820 adolescents. The tools used for this study are the General Health Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale. The result shows that the prevalence of psychological morbidity among students is 25.4℅. The study concluded that 1 in 4 school-going adolescents in Puducherry suffered psychological morbidity. Factors related to academics and health were attributable to the considerable burden of psychological morbidity of school-going adolescents. This study highlights the need to address the issue of the provision of a supportive school environment and adolescent-friendly health initiatives to reduce the psychological disease burden.⁸

Francisco Jose Barbosa et.al (2022) conducted qualitative research with the aim of exploring the whether the presence of mental health disorders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, was associated with a difference in their perception of their academic performance. The research design adopted for this study is a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 610 students. The tools used in this study are Patient Health Questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder -7 (GAD-7). The result shows that (61.5%) students are at risk of possible depressive disorder and (52.1%) for possible generalized anxiety disorder. The study concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a direct effect on student's mental health and academic performance.⁹

Maysoun Atoum et. al (2018) conducted qualitative research with the objective of identifying emotional and behavioral disorders among Jordanian adolescents and their association with academic outcomes. The design adopted for this study is a descriptive correlational design with a sample size of 810 adolescents. The tools used in this study are a socio-demographic survey, a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and a grade point average. The result shows that (11.7%) of the students had psychological and behavioral problems. The most commonly reported problems were emotional symptoms (14.2%), conduct problems (12.5%) and hyperactivity (7.5%). The result concluded that there was a significant negative relationship between SDQ scores and GPA.¹⁰

CONCLUSION:

Based on the reviews mentioned above, it can be inferred that most of the studies have shown a positive link between mental health and academic performance among college students. The factors that affect the mental health of students include lifestyle behaviors, educational habits, physical activity, sleep quality, and levels of anxiety and depression. Creating a supportive educational environment and promoting adolescent-friendly initiatives can help reduce the burden of psychological issues.

REFERENCE:

1. Chu T, Liu X, Takayanagi S, Matsushita T, Kishimoto H. Association between mental health and academic performance among university undergraduates: The interacting role of lifestyle behaviors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 2023 Mar;32(1):e1938.

2. Nadeem M, Waseem M, Mir TA, Bhat SA, Mir GH, Dagar P. International Journal of Scientific Research.

3. Zada S, Wang Y, Zada M, Gul F. Effect of mental health problems on academic performance among university students in Pakistan. Int. J. Ment. Health Promot. 2021 Jan 1;23:395-408.

4. Duncan MJ, Patte KA, Leatherdale ST. Mental health associations with academic performance and education behaviors in Canadian secondary school students. Canadian Journal of School Psychology. 2021 Dec;36(4):335-57.

5. Duncan MJ, Patte KA, Leatherdale ST. Mental health associations with academic performance and education behaviors in Canadian secondary school students. Canadian Journal of School Psychology. 2021 Dec;36(4):335-57.

6. Yasser H Alnofaiey et al (2023), Correlation of Physical Activity to Mental Health State and Grade Point Average Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10335324/

7. Kim J, Moon K, Lee J, Jeong Y, Lee S, Ko YG. Online learning performance and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic: Application of the dual-continua model of mental health. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022 Jul 22;13:932777.8. Srinivasan M, Premarajan KC, Reddy MM, Menon V, Kumar SG. Prevalence of psychological morbidity and its correlates among school-going adolescents of urban Puducherry, India. National Medical Journal of India. 2022 Mar 1;35(2).

8. Barbosa-Camacho FJ, Romero-Limón OM, Ibarrola-Peña JC, Almanza-Mena YL, Pintor-Belmontes KJ, Sánchez-López VA, Chejfec-Ciociano JM, Guzmán-Ramírez BG, Sapién-Fernández JH, Guzmán-Ruvalcaba MJ, Nájar-Hinojosa R. Depression, anxiety, and academic performance in COVID-19: a cross-sectional study. BMC psychiatry. 2022 Jun 30;22(1):443.

9. Atoum M, Alhussami M, Rayan A. Emotional and behavioral problems among Jordanian adolescents: Prevalence and associations with academic achievement. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 2018 Oct;31(2-3):70-8.

Received on 17.10.2023 Modified on 24.10.2023

A and V Pub Int. J. of Nursing and Medical Res. 2023; 2(4):130-132.

DOI: 10.52711/ijnmr.2023.30