Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Mental health associations with students’ academic outcomes are critical for students’ well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Discover Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8 |
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| author | Andrew Nketsia Arthur Joanne Fraikue Bijoux Adu-Amankwah Richard Ofori Dorcas Sekyi Abena Afrakomah Boateng Elsie Asamoah Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah |
| author_facet | Andrew Nketsia Arthur Joanne Fraikue Bijoux Adu-Amankwah Richard Ofori Dorcas Sekyi Abena Afrakomah Boateng Elsie Asamoah Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah |
| author_sort | Andrew Nketsia Arthur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Mental health associations with students’ academic outcomes are critical for students’ well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic performance among university students in a public university in Ghana. Additionally, we study students’ level of mental health awareness. Methods The study adopted a quantitative study with an analytical cross-sectional design. Through the multistage sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 384 undergraduate students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Data management and analysis were performed using SPSS v.27. Descriptive data are presented in tables and reported as frequencies. Inferential analysis was conducted using a multilevel logistic regression model and a p-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results Severe depression (p = 0.016, ϰ2 = 0.784) was significantly associated with students’ academic performance. Severe anxiety (p = 0.020, ϰ2 = 11.700), gender (p = 0.014, ϰ2 = 5.999) and self-efficacy (p = 0.015, ϰ2 = 5.939), were found to have a statistically significant association with academic performance (p < 0.05). According the multilevel analysis, females experiencing mental health had reduced likelihood of achieving high academic performance compared to male students (AOR = 0.343, 95% CI 0.144–0.813, p = 0.015). Severely depressed students (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.084-0.830, p = 0.23) are significantly less likely to increase their Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Self-efficacious students (AOR = 3.325, 95% CI 1.421-7.784, p = 0.06) were three times more likely to increase their CWA. Conclusion Severe depression causes a reduction in students’ academic performance, while high academic self-efficacy among students serves as a protective factor by facilitating an increase in students’ CWA when they encounter mental health issues. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-436a902e1dc245d5b4841194800346cc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-4383 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-436a902e1dc245d5b4841194800346cc2025-01-26T12:17:25ZengSpringerDiscover Mental Health2731-43832025-01-015111110.1007/s44192-025-00130-8Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional studyAndrew Nketsia Arthur0Joanne Fraikue1Bijoux Adu-Amankwah2Richard Ofori3Dorcas Sekyi4Abena Afrakomah Boateng5Elsie Asamoah6Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah7Department of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Background Mental health associations with students’ academic outcomes are critical for students’ well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic performance among university students in a public university in Ghana. Additionally, we study students’ level of mental health awareness. Methods The study adopted a quantitative study with an analytical cross-sectional design. Through the multistage sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 384 undergraduate students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Data management and analysis were performed using SPSS v.27. Descriptive data are presented in tables and reported as frequencies. Inferential analysis was conducted using a multilevel logistic regression model and a p-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results Severe depression (p = 0.016, ϰ2 = 0.784) was significantly associated with students’ academic performance. Severe anxiety (p = 0.020, ϰ2 = 11.700), gender (p = 0.014, ϰ2 = 5.999) and self-efficacy (p = 0.015, ϰ2 = 5.939), were found to have a statistically significant association with academic performance (p < 0.05). According the multilevel analysis, females experiencing mental health had reduced likelihood of achieving high academic performance compared to male students (AOR = 0.343, 95% CI 0.144–0.813, p = 0.015). Severely depressed students (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.084-0.830, p = 0.23) are significantly less likely to increase their Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Self-efficacious students (AOR = 3.325, 95% CI 1.421-7.784, p = 0.06) were three times more likely to increase their CWA. Conclusion Severe depression causes a reduction in students’ academic performance, while high academic self-efficacy among students serves as a protective factor by facilitating an increase in students’ CWA when they encounter mental health issues.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8DepressionAnxietyStressCumulative Weighted Average (CWA)Academic self-efficacy |
| spellingShingle | Andrew Nketsia Arthur Joanne Fraikue Bijoux Adu-Amankwah Richard Ofori Dorcas Sekyi Abena Afrakomah Boateng Elsie Asamoah Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study Discover Mental Health Depression Anxiety Stress Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) Academic self-efficacy |
| title | Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a ghanaian tertiary institution a cross sectional study |
| topic | Depression Anxiety Stress Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) Academic self-efficacy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8 |
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