This page is dedicated to different arguments pertaining to the way in which a state of mind favors or hinders the learning process. Understanding the importance of mental health in learning can make us better learners. Subjects like the effects of self-esteem on learning and mental processes that favor/hinder the acquisition of information (i.e. circadian rhythms) are covered in this page.
Other common psychiatric disorders related to deficits in attention spam and learning, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD, ADHD) will also be discussed here in future website updates.
One of the most important national associations dedicated to learning problems is the Learning Disabilities Association of America. It is dedicated to the promotion of learning disability awareness, and seeks to inform about the different health conditions that lead to learning disabilities. It also offers resources for those who have learning disabilities, including a national health provider directory. It is a great source to gain initial knowledge about learning impairment.
The effect of depression on learning
The following video, posted October 2011, is from the Children’s Health Council, which is based in California. It is an organization that offers programs, evaluations and treatment for ADHD, learning differences, depression, anxiety and autism. The organization has very good speakers, such as the one presented here, Karen Grites, M.S. She talks about the importance of high school and college educational support, and, after presenting the struggle of one of her patients, highlights that someone can be smart and still struggle academically. The questions is, often, “what are the ways we learn best?”, rather than, “what is wrong with our minds which make learning so difficult?” Even though the video is very interesting it is very brief and I wish it illustrated the stories and problems of more struggling learners, but, nonetheless, it offers excellent ideas about the way we should approach learning at schools, both as students and teachers.
The next video, from Stanford University and posted on November, 2009, is a presentation given by neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky. It covers the subject of depression in a broad manner, including it’s epidemiology, signs and symptoms, pathophysiology, as well as an interesting background on evolutionary physioanatomy, which includes Paul MacLean’s triune brain model (for more information on the triune brain model and its relation to psychopathology, read my blog post on the subject). Though not a presentation directly related to learning impairment, it is essential because it highlights issues necessary to understand learning in the context of depression.
Depression and elevated depressive symptoms are a significant cause of physical, social role functioning and learning impairment. Depression is frequently combined with feelings of self-worthlessness (low self-esteem), sadness, and anxiety, all of which are expressed by repetitive, irresolute thoughts, a mental process known as rumination, which hinders concentration and consequently leads to learning impairment.
Depression and anxiety are closely related, as they share many affected brain areas, most noticeably the amygdala. This is why depression and anxiety are found often comorbidly, and certain antidepressants also present anxiolytic properties (to learn more, read my blog post on amygdala abnormalities in relation to depression and anxiety).
Above is an excellent book on the subject of anxiety disorders, edited by Federico Durbano (2015). In it, there is an illustrative chapter by Mexican authors Bernal, Rodriguez (Neuroethology Institute – Veracruz University) and Pulido (R.N., Papaloapan University), about the impact of anxiety and depression on academic performance in high school and university:
Bernal-Morales B., Rodriguez-Landa, J.F., & Pulido-Criollo, F. (2015). Impact of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms on Scholar Performance in High School and University Students. A Fresh Look at Anxiety Disorders. pp 225-242. doi:10.5772/60711
Impact of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms on Scholar Performance in
High School and University Students
The chapter offers an extensive explanation on the subject of the effects of depression and anxiety on academic performance. Even though authors rely on previous research to support their statements, the information is given clearly and precisely, recurring to their professional judgement throughout the paper.
The effect of obsessive-compulsive disorder on learning
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a type of anxiety disorder, is a chronic condition that tends to start in childhood or adolescence and persists into adulthood. It impairs academic performance, making it difficult to complete homework assignments and concentrating at school being the two most frequent patient complaints.
Individuals without OCD present cognitive flexibility, which allows them to perform successfully at school, most noticeably in mathematics and reading. Likewise, adequate goal-directed and habitual control are necessary for proper daily functioning. Goal-directed action control, or the ability to choose a course of action based on a predicted outcome – while being flexible on our pursuits when they become undesirable – is significantly impaired in patients with OCD. Similarly, OCD patients tend to be inflexible in their decision making, and have memory deficits.
More on this interesting subject can be read in the following academic journal article:
Gottwald, J. Wit, S., Apergis-Schoute, A.M., Morein-Zamir, S., Kaser, M., Cormack, F., Sule, A., Limmer, W., Morris, A.C., Robbins, T.W. & Sahakian, B.J. (2017). Impaired cognitive plasticity and goal-directed control in adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychological Medicine. doi: 10.1017/
S0033291717003464
Impaired cognitive plasticity and goal-directed control in
adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder
This scientific journal paper by Gottwald et al. (2017) is about a quantitative study done to determine the level of cognitive inflexibility as well as goal-directed control in patients with OCD. It used experimental and control groups of 36 adolescent subjects each. The experimental group, consisting of OCD patients, underwent several assessments to quantify their memory capacity, their cognitive flexibility, their goal-directed action control and habitual behavioral control. The most important findings included an obvious learning and memory deficiency among OCD patients, in comparison to control subjects, as well as a marked impairment in their goal-directed activity control. The study is only able to describe OCD patient characteristics in the context of a British population, but the methodology is flawless and serves as a guide for further investigations in distinct sociocultural contexts.
The effect of circadian rhythms on learning
A person’s circadian rhythm might be related to his/her ability to learn and remember. There is a genetic predisposition for adequate circadian function, that is closely related to the hippocampus, but it is not yet well understood. This would mean that an adequate, healthy circadian rhythm will also have positive effects in learning and memory.
To learn more, read the following academic journal article:
Mou, X. (2016). What Role do Circadian Rhythms Play in Learning and Memory?. Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology, 7(367). doi: 10.4172/2155-9562.1000367
What Role do Circadian Rhythms Play in Learning and Memory?
It is also important to realize that circadian rhythm can be altered by various factors, including hours of sleep, hours of exposure to light and darkness, diet and levels of stress. These factors can affect concentration, memory and hence the learning process.
To learn more, read the following article from an science website:
Hotz, M., Takahashi, J.S., Turek, F.W. (2016, December 29). What Is Circadian Rhythm Entraintment? RELIWIRE. Retrieved from https://reliawire.com/circadian-rhythm-entrainment/
What Is Circadian Rhythm Entraintment?
The effect of self-esteem on learning
Academic performance and achievement is directly influenced by the level of self-esteem students have. An adequate sense of self is essential to initiate the learning process. If a student does not believe in his or her capabilities, further intent to learn will be hindered by preconceived self-perception. Zoller and Gerard (2011) found, in a mixed-methodological and cross-cultural study, that self-esteem was related to academic achievement, specially in mathematics, among adolescent students from North America and Great Britain. Cultural expectations regarding gender-appropriate skills are one of the reasons that influence self-esteem, a phenomenon mainly seen in the United States. According to the study, cultural differences among youths (collectivist versus individualistic societies) may not have much to do with the perception of self in relation to academic performance. School climate is also thought to have an effect on self-esteem and, consequently, academic performance.
To learn more, here is the complete academic journal article:
Booth, M.Z., & Gerard, J.M. (2011). Self-esteem and academic achievement: a comparative study of adolescent students in England and the United States. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 41(5). 629-648. doi: 10.1080/03057925.2011.566688. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779915/pdf/nihms420531.pdf
Self-esteem and academic achievement: a comparative study of
adolescent students in England and the United States