The relationship between gender, age, anxiety, depression, and academic achievement among teenagers

BACKGROUND: Researchers have shown that the anxiety and depression have an important role in academic achievement. OBJECTIVES: This study is designed to identify the impact of anxiety and depression on academic achievement in students living in North of Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study 666 secondary school students (13–19 years old) were involved in North of Iran, were involved in this study. We used two instruments for data collection, The Beck Anxiety Inventory and The Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: The results indicate that girls with 21.8% were more anxious than boys with 11.6% (F = 21.448, t = 5.420), while boys with 29.5% are more depressed than girls with 17.8% (F = 25.530, t = 4.847). Additionally, there were a significantly negative correlation between academic achievement with anxiety and depression. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean of anxiety and age between teenagers, but a significant depression level of respondents who are 18 and 19 years old was significantly different from other ages. CONCLUSIONS: It is recommended that along with academic performance, mental health be developed in school settings using support strategies such as educational guidance and counseling, teaching life skill programs, and psychotherapy. It was concluded that there is an urgent need to pay more attention to the anxiety and depression of adolescents in Iran. The findings of the study will be useful in assisting educators, counselors, and psychologists to develop strategies to enhance students’ psychological well-being.