Teens Reporting Academic Pressure Face Greater Depression Later in Life

THURSDAY, Feb. 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Adolescents who feel more pressured by schoolwork at age 15 years have higher levels of later depressive symptoms, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Xuchen Guo, from University College London, and colleagues assessed whether higher levels of academic pressure would be associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and self-harm among adolescents. The analysis included 4,714 adolescents participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

The researchers found that in fully adjusted models, a 1-point increase in academic pressure at age 15 years was associated with a 0.43-point increase in depressive symptoms, assessed with the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire. While this association was greatest with depressive symptom assessment at age 16 years (0.53), it persisted until age 22 years (0.35). In fully adjusted models, each 1-point increase in academic pressure was associated with 8 percent higher odds of self-harm, with no differences seen over time.

“Current approaches to help pupils with mental health tend to be focused on helping individual pupils cope; we hope to address academic pressure at the whole-school level by addressing the school culture,” senior author Gemma Lewis, Ph.D., also from University College London, said in a statement.

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