EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Based from Effect of Depression on Student’s Academic performance The main aim of the present study was to find out the effects of depression on students’ academic performance. The proposed study was descriptive in nature. The target population of the study was comprised of all Govt. Colleges Women of city Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Students studying in second year class were selected through simple random sampling technique. Two questionnaires were used for data collection. Depression Screening Test by Ivan Goldberg was used for measuring the level of depression and to find out the effects of depression on student’s academic performance ” Academic Performance Rating Scale ” (APRS) for teachers was administered to take teachers’ responses about students and students academic record was taken out from respective institutions. Data was analyzed by using Chi-Square and paired sample t test. The result showed that there is negative effect of depression on student’s academic performance whereas there is a significance difference between the academic performance of the students having low, medium and high level depression. INTRODUCTION Depression is one of the emotional problems, and hopelessness and helplessness are its main causes. Depression is a prevalent problem among college’s students across the world and it effect on a students’ ability to perform activities of daily life. Depression is marked by sad feelings among college students which are known as a common mental illness.” National Institute of Mental Health [1] found that during their college life many students experience the first symptoms of depression. Depressed Students often feel sad and reductions in academic performance. Untreated depression usually interferes in day-today activities and lasts for a long time.Depressed people ignore their own successes and good traits, while exaggerating their faults and failures. Student’s Academic performance which every individual have to perform in all cultures has become an important goal of the educational process. Student’s personality, education, motivation, mental health and training also effect academic performance.