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The University of Technology, Jamaica

Faculty of Education & Liberal Studies
School of Technical & Vocational Education
Research Methodologies (RES3001)
Lecturer: Mr Fabian Vassel

Title

The Negative Impact of Depression on the Academic Work of University Students

By
Name: Kittanya Anderson
ID: 1707597
Date Submitted: September 17, 2019

An Assignment Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of

Education Degree in TVET in Business and Computer Studies.
Title
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The Negative Impact of Depression on the Academic Work of University Students

Background

Depression is a mental health disorder which has the capacity to hinder ones day to

day operation, regarding university students, it impedes their academic work.

According to (Tartakovsky, 2018) students deal with a lot of stressors that influence or

contribute to mental health issues. Also, when students feel inadequately prepared for their

new environment they could easily become susceptible to depression and anxiety.

This research was considered because the researcher has been struggling with

depression due to academic demands at the university level. Being a student who has suffered

from depression that has been untreated has also influenced this study. The researcher intends

to highlight how negatively depression affects the academic work of university students.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study is to bring to light the negative impact of depression on the

academic work of university students.

The research problem statement

There is a negative impact on the academic performance of university students as a result of

depression.

Expected benefits of the study

The findings of this research will provide more awareness of the struggles that

university students face which has a negative impact on their academic productivity. The
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beneficiaries of this research include university students, parents, lecturers as well as

university administrators. Understanding the struggles that students face will enable

administrators to facilitate or implement programmes that will assist students with untreated

depression.

Research questions

1. What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

2. What are the contributing factors of depression among university students?

3. What are the risk factors of depression?

4. What are the treatments that are available for students struggling with depression?

Key definitions

Depression: According (Parekh, 2017), depression is defined as a major depressive disorder

that negatively affects how an individual feels, the way they act and the way they think.

Academic: According to ("Academic definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary",

2019) “Academic is used to describe things that relate to the work done in schools, colleges,

and universities, especially work which involves studying and reasoning rather than practical

or technical skills.”

References

Academic definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved 16

September 2019, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/academic

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Parekh, R. (2017). What Is Depression?. Retrieved 15 September 2019, from

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Tartakovsky, M. (2018). Depression and Anxiety Among College Students. Retrieved 15

September 2019, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-And-anxiety-among-

college-students/