Abstract:
Background
This study aimed to assess the relationship between mental health and academic
achievements among 576 students from Astana and Aktobe, Kazakhstan. To achieve this
goal, the following objectives were pursued: to evaluate the level of mental health and
motivation within the studied sample, and to determine the level of correlation between
the indicators. Additionally, deeper insights were attained by assessing the correlation
between the indicators within the context of the field of study, age, nationality, gender,
pre-university education level, and academic performance.
Methods
The study involved 576 students from L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University,
Astana, and K. Zhubanov Aktobe Regional University, Aktobe. They were randomly
selected for measuring the correlation between the two variables. Achievement
motivation was measured using the Herman Achievement Motivation Test. Mental health
was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Potential
predictors within the domains of the field of study, age, nationality, gender,
pre-university education level, and academic performance were identified for the
correlational analysis of the two indicators.
Results
The study revealed a significant negative correlation between students’ achievement
motivation and their mental health (r = 0.0038, p < 0.05). This implies that as the level of
achievement motivation increases, the value of students’ mental health decreases.
Analysis of the correlational relationship with sample characteristics identified
substantial differences in motivation and mental health depending on specialization,
age, gender, pre-university education level, and academic performance. The variables
most strongly correlated were motivation and mental health with age (p = 0.004 and p =
0.001), as well as gender with mental health (p = 0.003) and academic performance with
motivation (p = 0.009).
Conclusions
The results deepen the community’s understanding regarding the influencing factors and
potential interactions with students’ mental health and motivation.
