Anxiety and depression in academic performance: An exploration of the mediating factors of worry and working memory

TLDR

Anxiety and depression are linked to lower academic performance, and further studies should test these hypotheses in larger longitudinal samples. 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. The study examined 12‑ to 13‑year‑old children from two UK schools, assessing negative affect, worry, working memory, and academic performance via questionnaires, school test data, and computerized working memory tasks. Higher anxiety and depression levels were linked to lower academic performance, with worry and central executive processes mediating this relationship, and the study discusses implications for school psychology practice and interventions.

Abstract

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. Participants were typically developing children (12 to 13-years-old) from two UK schools. The study investigated the relationship between negative affect, worry, working memory, and academic performance using self-report questionnaires, school administered academic test data, and a battery of computerized working memory tasks. Higher levels of anxiety and depression were associated with lower academic performance. There was support for a mediation hypothesis, where worry and central executive processes mediated the link between negative affect and academic performance. Further studies should test these hypotheses in larger longitudinal samples. Implications for school psychology practice and interventions in schools are discussed.