The relationship between adolescents' well-being and academic performanceSystematic Review

Over the last decade, interest in student well-being has grown significantly across psychology, education, health and economics.This review highlights the importance of prioritising student wellbeing within education systems, recognising that both schools and policy makers play a crucial role in promoting it.This systematic review synthesises empirical studies on the association between wellbeing and academic performance in adolescents.Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, PsycINFO, ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and ResearchGate between June and September 2023, using combinations of terms related to well-being, academic performance and adolescence.Inclusion criteria were: peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2010 onwards; samples with adolescents aged 10-19; quantitative designs; at least one indicator of well-being and one of academic performance; and analyses of the association between these constructs.Seventeen studies met the criteria, involving a total of 276,559 students from diverse cultural and educational contexts.Across studies, higher levels of well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, psychological, social and school well-being, engagement) were generally associated with better academic outcomes (grades, test scores, perceived academic competence).At the same time, some evidence pointed to trade-offs, whereby high academic pressure was linked to lower wellbeing despite good performance.Socio-emotional factors (e.g., self-efficacy, self-esteem, peer and teacher relationships) and contextual characteristics (e.g., school climate, socioeconomic status) emerged as important mediators and moderators.Overall, the findings suggest a positive association between adolescent well-being and academic performance, while also underscoring the risk of achievement-oriented climates that undermine students' mental health.The review identifies conceptual and methodological gaps, particularly the limited number of longitudinal studies and the scarcity of evidence from Eastern Europe, and highlights the need for educational policies that integrate academic and well-being aims.