The impact of university freshmen’s mental health on academic performance: an empirical study based on M University in Fujian Province, China

University officials should strengthen mental health surveillance and intervention during the first few years of student enrollment to mitigate the harmful impact of mental health issues on academic performance. The moderate to strong effect sizes for variables like somatization, depression, and anxiety indicate that early interventions could be crucial in reducing their negative impact on both short-and long-term academic outcomes. Furthermore, the study discovered disparities in mental health and academic performance across students of different genders and enrollment years, emphasizing that educational personnel should design more tailored mental health support methods that consider these differences.