Academic Procrastination and Its Impact on the Mental Health of College Students: A Correlation Study

Abstract

In the current scenario, students in their respective colleges often exhibit procrastination in the academic field, which can have adverse effects on their mental health, including psychological, emotional, and social well-being. To address this issue, the present study examines the relationship between academic procrastination and mental health, as well as its dimensions, among college-going students in the Varanasi and Prayagraj districts of Uttar Pradesh, which has significant implications for students’ academic performance. The study’s sample comprised 141 college students from the Varanasi and Prayagraj districts of Uttar Pradesh. Data were collected using purposive sampling with standardized tools such as, Academic Procrastination Scale, by McCloskey (2011), and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form is taken from Keyes’s (2002). Then, using SPSS, the data were examined using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression (SLR), and Pearson’s product-moment correlation. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between academic procrastination and mental health and its dimensions, suggesting potential strategies for addressing it in academic settings.