News release

From: The Lancet

Academic pressure at school linked to higher levels of depression and self-harm that can persist into early adulthood, study in England suggests

Higher levels of academic pressure at age 15 is strongly linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms up to the age of 22, and is also associated, though less strongly, with a greater risk of self-harm up to age 24 in England, according to a paper published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.  

Rates of adolescent depression and self-harm have been rising in many countries, including the UK, and academic pressure is consistently reported by young people as one of their biggest sources of stress. Although academic pressure is widely thought to be linked to depression and self-harm in young people, there has been surprisingly little strong evidence to test this link over time.

The study analysed data from a large, long-running study in England, following nearly 5000 young people born in 1991-92. Academic pressure was measured when participants were aged 15, and their mental health was tracked repeatedly from ages 16 to 22, with self-harm assessed up to age 24. The study found that young people who felt more pressured by schoolwork at age 15 went on to report higher levels of depressive symptoms overall. The association was strongest at age 16, but was still evident at age 22. Higher academic pressure was also linked to self-harm, with each one-point increase in academic pressure being associated with an 8% higher likelihood of self-harm.

The authors highlight that the teenagers included in the study were aged 15 and in school in 2006-07, so their study could not assess the impact of later policy changes or COVID-19, meaning more up to date data are still needed to understand how current pressures may be linked to mental health. As an observational study, they say their findings cannot prove cause and effect, and that some overlap between feelings of academic pressure and symptoms of anxiety or depression may have influenced the results.

The authors say the findings highlight that interventions to reduce academic pressure could be developed and evaluated to see if they improve adolescent mental health. They suggest that whole-school approaches, such as reducing high-stakes testing, supporting social and emotional skills, alongside changes in education policy, could all help to ease levels of academic pressure with the ultimate goal of improving adolescent mental health and wellbeing.