Critical evaluation

Critical evaluation of Literature Review

Relationship between depression, self-esteem and academic

performance

Hira Rizwan , Hafsa Arooj and Zanib Javed

Department of psychology: University of Sialkot
PSY-3004: Research seminar
Supervisor : Ma’am Aisha Shakeel

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Research Question Similarly, Sindhu. P (2016) studied the Impact

of depression on academic achievement. The

What is the relationship between depression,
result showed that any depressed individuals
self-esteem and academic performance among
may be unable to perform well in academic life.
students?
They may feel that they are not reaching the
Problem statement
standard of performance set for them. They

To investigate relationship between depression, reported that their academic performance was

self-esteem and academic performance among affected by depression. This shows that

students depression affects the performance of the

Literature Review students i.e. the higher the depression, the lower

is the academic achievement of the students.

Khurshid et al. (2015) studied the effects of
They indicated that all low scorers had
depression on student’s academic performance.
depression and only 40% of high scorers had
The result showed that there is negative effect
depression. This result indicates that low
of depression on student’s academic
achievers have higher level of depression
performance whereas there is a significance
compared to high scorers.
difference between the academic performance

of the students having low, medium and high Furthermore, Owens et al. (2012) conducted a

level depression. Depressed mood also affects research on anxiety and depression is linked to

behavior. Depressed people sometimes feel lower academic performance. It is proposed

worthless. It is stated that more students with that academic performance is reduced in young

medium level of depression showed medium people with high levels of anxiety or depression.

academic performance and few students with Higher levels of anxiety and depression were

low and high depression exposed low and high associated with lower academic performance.

academic performance. The results of study suggest that negative affect

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is related to lowered academic performance in learning essential to academic achievement.

both anxiety and depression. They indicate that students who set proximal

goals (including grade goals), in addition to

Moreover, Qaisy. L (2016) studied the relation
distal outcome goals, achieved higher GPAs
of depression and anxiety in academic
than those who only set distal goals or those
achievement. This study found differences
who were urged to do their best.
between gender, depression and anxiety. The

results show that females have more anxiety in Dr. KinCheunga, Dr. Kin YuenTamb Ms.

comparison with the males, while males are HildaTsanga, Dr. Lillian WeiweiZhanga, and

more depressed than females. They investigate Dr. Siu WaiLitc state that only a few research

that male students gave higher ratings than have looked at the mental health of university

females. The higher rates of depression and students in specific subgroups. The researchers

anxiety among students have major expected that there would be disparities in the

implications. They indicate that there is a prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress

positive relationship between achievement and across student subgroups, as well as a link

anxiety, while a negative relationship is found between age, gender, academic achievement,

with depression. and mental health status.

Additionally, Abraham. C (2013) conducted a Alketa Hysenbegasi, Steven L. Hass, and

research on Psychological correlates of Clayton R. Rowland Depression is a prevalent

University students’ academic performance. mental illness that impairs a person's ability to

This study has assessed the role of personality carry out daily tasks, especially those necessary

in academic performance. Students high in at work. Academic performance may be

openness are expected to be more imaginative considered as a direct counterpart to workplace

and willing to consider new ideas. These performance with students being a distinct

students may be better able to manage new group of persons whose capacity to perform can

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be assessed using criteria defined by an the United Kingdom. The present study looked

observer and self-report. Despite the fact that at whether student anxiety and depression rises

this group has a high frequency of depression once they start college, how much unfavorable

and that preparing for entry into the workforce life events contribute to such increases, and how

is crucial for these individuals, this link has not adversity, anxiety, and depression affect exam

been well examined. performance.

S .N. B. Inam, A. Saqib, E. Alam A self- Furthermore, Quynh and Hai (2021)
administered anxiety and depression conducted study on self-esteem and depression

questionnaire was used to measure anxiety and among vietnamese university students. In their

depression levels among medical students at a study, levels of self-esteem and depression were

private institution. checked with a sample of 859 university

Saba Asif, Azka Mudassar, Talala Zainab students got from three universities in central

Shahzad, Mobeen Raouf, and Tehmina Pervaiz Vietnam. The results of their study indicated

explain that the major goal of this research was that Vietnamese university students

to find out how common depression, anxiety, have moderate self-esteem and mostly do not

and stress were among university students in suffer from depression. The male students

Sialkot, Pakistan. reported significantly higher self-esteem but

low depression and Female; however, reported

Bernice Andrews, John M. Wilding Concerns
higher levels of depression and low self-esteem
that rising financial difficulties and other
than the males.
outside demands may influence student mental

health and academic performance have led to Moreover, Asghari et al (2019)

an apparent increase in significantly distressed conducted study to identify the impact of

students contacting student health services in anxiety and depression on academic

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achievement in students living in North of Iran. According to Moreira et al (2018), study was

In this study 666 secondary school students (13– conducted in a sample of 750 students: 512

19 years old) were involved in North of Iran, medical students and 238 nonmedical students.

were involved in this study. The Beck Anxiety The result indicated the high levels of anxiety

Inventory and The Beck Depression Inventory symptoms, the possibility of depressive

were use. Results on the other hand indicate symptoms effect in academic performance and

that, there were a significantly negative the lack of psychiatric or psychological follow-

correlation between academic achievement with up. A percentage of 59.6% of students with

anxiety and depression. . anxiety symptoms and 46.4% of students with

depressive symptoms did not get medical or

On the other hand, Ahmad and Rana (2020)
psychological care at that time.
explored the effect of stress and self-esteem on

the academic performance of postgraduate Critical evaluation:

students in Pakistan. They collected data from

The studies highlighted that their exist a
seven public sector universities. The findings of
relationship between self-esteem, depression
this study showed that the relationship between
and academic performance. Studies positively
stress and academic performance is weak, and
showed that along with academic performance,
has negative correlation whereas the
mental health, the self-esteem of students must
relationship between academic performance
be focused in school and university settings.
and self-esteem is positive and has an
Also to help students, strategies like educational
association. It is also concluded that the
guidance, counseling, teaching life skill
association between self-esteem and stress has
programs, psychotherapy were mentioned.
negative association
Many scales like Beck depression inventory

along with techniques like random sampling

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were used, which helps in focusing every put burden on students leading them to suffer

possibility of individual. The limitation were from depression, low self-esteem and academic

like not highlighting exact areas of academic performance.

performance, role of mediator (private or

Discussion
public sector, family issues or genes), how much
13.2% students had low self-esteem, 56.6%
the depression effect self-esteem and academic
had average self-esteem, and 30.3% had high
performance and how much self-esteem leads to
self-esteem. 64.3% did not suffer from
depression and effect academic performance
depression, 18.2% experienced mild
and how much academic performance leads to
depression, 13.0% experienced moderate
depression and self-esteem issues, when to reach
depression, 3.4% suffered from severe
out for help, what steps can students take on
depression, 1.2% from extremely severe
their own. Moreover, the benefits from the
depression. The relationship between Perceived
studies were that it was mentioned that findings
Stress and Academic Performance is -0.225
will be useful in assisting educators, counselors,
which is a weak and negative correlation. The
and psychologists to develop strategies to
relationship amongst academic performance
enhance students’ psychological well-being. It is
and Self-Esteem Scale is 0.348 which is a
recommended that there is a great need to
moderate association. The relationship between
minimize the academic stress of the students
Self-Esteem Scale and Perceived Stress Scale is
regarding their academic performance which
-0.524 which is a negative association. Study
ultimately may lead to depression, low self-
revealed that 21.5% anxiety symptoms and
esteem and to support, assess, teach, guide them
3.7% depressive symptoms. Being a medical
with a respectful way according to individual
student was more associated with symptoms
capability. Questions arises like is the education
of anxiety compared with other students. A
system is of too high standard and strict that
percentage of 59.6% of students with

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anxiety symptoms and 46.4% of students with depression they showed medium academic

depressive symptoms did not seek medical or performance. The results showed that

psychological care at that time. Another study depression interferes with daily life activities of

results indicate that girls with 21.8% were more an individual.

anxious than boys with 11.6%, while boys with

The present study was conducted to examine
29.5% are more depressed than girls with
the effect of depression between low and high
17.8%. Academic performance is affected by a
achieving students. 20 undergraduate students
number of factors including depression.
both males and females, were selected as
Depressed mood also affects behavior.
participants in the study. They studied the
Depressed people sometimes feel worthless. The
relation of depression and anxiety in academic
results of the study revealed that there is a
achievement. This study found differences
negative effect of depression on student’s
between gender, depression and anxiety. The
academic performance. Further results showed
results show that females have more anxiety in
that there is a significance difference between
comparison with the males, while males are
academic performance of students having low,
more depressed than females. They investigate
medium and high level depression. Result also
that male students gave higher ratings than
showed that more students with medium level
females. The results indicated that all low
of depression showed medium academic
scorers had depression and only 40% of high
performance, and few students with low and
scorers had depression. This result indicates
high depression exposed low and high academic
that low achievers have higher level of
performance. So it can be concluded that
depression compared to high scorers. The male
Students suffer with low and high level of
students reported significantly higher self-
depression expose low academic performance.
esteem but low depression and Female. Results
The students who have moderate level of
on the other hand indicate that, there were a

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significantly negative correlation between low and high depression exposed low and high

academic achievement with anxiety and academic performance. Vietnamese university

depression. Furthermore the findings of this students have moderate self-esteem and mostly

study showed that the relationship between do not suffer from depression. The male

stress and academic performance is weak and students reported significantly higher self-

they has negative correlation whereas the esteem but low depression compared to Female.

relationship between academic performance

and self-esteem is positive.

Conclusion
References:
In an attempt to understand the relationship
Cheung, K., Tam, K. Y., Tsang, M. H., Zhang,
between Depression and academic
L. W., & Lit, S. W. (2020). Depression, anxiety
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The result indicated that there is significance Hysenbegasi, A., Hass, S. L., & Rowland, C. R.

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