---

Presenter: Leanie Liz Navarro

Faculty Sponsor: Isabelle Gagne

School: Bunker Hill Community College

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Session: Poster Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM, 165, D8

ABSTRACT

This study examines whether depressive mood symptoms are associated with academic performance among students at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), as measured by self-reported GPA categories. Low academic achievement is consistently associated with depressive symptoms, particularly discouragement, low motivation, and fatigue. These symptoms can also interfere with concentration, energy levels, and class performance, making them important factors to examine in relation to GPA. The current study investigates whether these mood symptoms relate to GPA within a diverse community-college population. It was hypothesized that students reporting higher depressive mood symptoms would have lower GPAs. A non-experimental survey design was used, and twelve BHCC students reported their mood symptoms, GPA category, and age. The results showed that discouraged mood was more common among students in the lower GPA category. Specifically, 60% of students in the lower GPA group reported "yes" whereas only 17% of students in the higher GPA group did so. Notably, low energy emerged as the most prevalent symptom in the sample, with 50% of participants reporting "yes", while 42% reported experiencing it "sometimes". Findings from this study partially supported the hypothesis and suggest that mood symptoms, especially discouragement and fatigue, may affect academic performance. This study highlights the need for further research on depressive mood in community-college settings, where many students may experience emotional challenges without formal mental-health diagnoses.