Academic Achievement and Subsequent Depression: A Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies

This meta-analysis of the relation between academic achievement and subsequent depression included 43 longitudinal studies comprising 50 samples involving a total of 24,557 participants. The correlation between academic achievement and subsequent depression was small at r = −.15. When controlling for prior depression, the mean effect of prior academic achievement on subsequent depression was β = −.06. The correlation between prior academic achievement and subsequent depression decreased as the time between assessments increased. The relation was relatively stronger in children than in young adults. Demographic variables, including gender, ethnicity, and birth cohort, did not moderate the relation between academic achievement and subsequent depression. The measurements of academic achievement and depression, including academic achievement indicator, globality of academic achievement, and depression measure, also showed no significant effects.