Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students

Ruth Spence; Lisa Kagan; Stephen Nunn; Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez; Helen L. Fisher; Georgina M. Hosang; Antonia Bifulco

doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1841776

Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students

Ruth Spence^*, Lisa Kagan, Stephen Nunn, Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez, Helen L. Fisher, Georgina M. Hosang, Antonia Bifulco

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

422 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Students often simultaneously deal with shifting support networks, stressful life changes and psychological distress which may affect academic achievement. Methods: 285 students completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess depression and the Computerized Life Events Assessment Record (CLEAR), to establish life events and supportive relationships. Module grades were used to measure academic achievement. A general linear model was used with student grade as the dependent variable and life events, depression and supportive relationships as independent variables. Confounding variables included age and sex. Results: A three-way interaction between life events, depression and lack of supportive relationships was found. It indicated the performance of depressed students depended on whether they had supportive relationships and that this interaction also depended on whether they had experienced a life event in the past year. Conclusions: Universities need to provide more support to students with life stress as they transition into university life.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of American College Health
Early online date	30 Nov 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1841776
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 30 Nov 2020

Keywords

Academic achievement
depression
life events
students
supportive relationships

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10.1080/07448481.2020.1841776

Life events, depression and supportive_SPENCE_Acc18Oct2020Epub30Nov2020_GREEN AAMAccepted author manuscript, 217 KB

Cite this

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abstract = "Background: Students often simultaneously deal with shifting support networks, stressful life changes and psychological distress which may affect academic achievement. Methods: 285 students completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess depression and the Computerized Life Events Assessment Record (CLEAR), to establish life events and supportive relationships. Module grades were used to measure academic achievement. A general linear model was used with student grade as the dependent variable and life events, depression and supportive relationships as independent variables. Confounding variables included age and sex. Results: A three-way interaction between life events, depression and lack of supportive relationships was found. It indicated the performance of depressed students depended on whether they had supportive relationships and that this interaction also depended on whether they had experienced a life event in the past year. Conclusions: Universities need to provide more support to students with life stress as they transition into university life.",

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AU - Kagan, Lisa

AU - Nunn, Stephen

AU - Bailey-Rodriguez, Deborah

AU - Fisher, Helen L.

AU - Hosang, Georgina M.

AU - Bifulco, Antonia

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N2 - Background: Students often simultaneously deal with shifting support networks, stressful life changes and psychological distress which may affect academic achievement. Methods: 285 students completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess depression and the Computerized Life Events Assessment Record (CLEAR), to establish life events and supportive relationships. Module grades were used to measure academic achievement. A general linear model was used with student grade as the dependent variable and life events, depression and supportive relationships as independent variables. Confounding variables included age and sex. Results: A three-way interaction between life events, depression and lack of supportive relationships was found. It indicated the performance of depressed students depended on whether they had supportive relationships and that this interaction also depended on whether they had experienced a life event in the past year. Conclusions: Universities need to provide more support to students with life stress as they transition into university life.

AB - Background: Students often simultaneously deal with shifting support networks, stressful life changes and psychological distress which may affect academic achievement. Methods: 285 students completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess depression and the Computerized Life Events Assessment Record (CLEAR), to establish life events and supportive relationships. Module grades were used to measure academic achievement. A general linear model was used with student grade as the dependent variable and life events, depression and supportive relationships as independent variables. Confounding variables included age and sex. Results: A three-way interaction between life events, depression and lack of supportive relationships was found. It indicated the performance of depressed students depended on whether they had supportive relationships and that this interaction also depended on whether they had experienced a life event in the past year. Conclusions: Universities need to provide more support to students with life stress as they transition into university life.

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KW - life events

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Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students

Abstract

Keywords

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