Students suffering moderate anxiety more likely to succeed in school, study suggests
Research from Canada suggests some anxiety – not too much or too little – is helpful for motivating students to work. In other studies: shingles increases heart attack risk, and childhood mental disorders lead to addictive behaviour
Moderate levels of anxiety may be linked to greater academic success at school, according to a study.
Research among almost 5,000 secondary school students in Canada found that pupils reporting moderate anxiety were more likely to leave school with a qualification.
In contrast, those with either high or low levels of anxiety were more likely to leave without qualifications. This indicates that a moderate degree of stress may help academic attainment – but too much or too little do not.
The findings were made in a study looking at possible links between depressive and anxious symptoms among young people and the risk of dropping out of secondary school without any qualifications.
“A troubling proportion, 6 to 22 per cent, of adolescents do not complete secondary school in the UK and North America,” said lead researcher Frédéric Brière of the University of Montreal. “These adolescents are at high risk of experiencing a wide range of psychosocial, physical and mental health difficulties as adults.
“Secondary school non-completion is one of the main mechanisms that perpetuate social and health inequalities across generations.”