Does math cause depression? It's a question that has been asked by many, and the answer is not a simple one. Memory-based math problems can stimulate a region of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which has already been linked to depression and anxiety. This means that for some people, math can be a source of stress and anxiety, leading to poor performance in math classes and even beyond graduation. I'm a graduate student in mathematics who has seasonal affective disorder, so I understand the difficulty of staying motivated when it comes to math.
Despite this, I still find myself drawn to mathematics. The amount of enjoyment I get from it depends on my mental state, but I'm still attracted to it. To help me maintain this enjoyment, I use general strategies for mitigating depression, which I'm not qualified to discuss in detail. Math anxiety affects people of all ages and can have long-term effects on their ability to master skills or projects that involve computing.
It's also known as math phobia and is characterized by fear of failure when it comes to math. This fear can impair their ability to perform. Research has shown that math anxiety in the first grades can influence mathematical performance not only in the same grade but also in subsequent grades. People who are scared by their math skills tend to do worse than those who don't care about numbers.
However, intrinsic motivation can change this relationship; when students experience intrinsic motivation, moderate levels of mathematical anxiety can actually positively influence performance. A study conducted on 397 students who responded to an advertisement for behavioral therapy treatment for math anxiety found that both groups showed mathematical anxiety, although neither group achieved “clinically high” CBCL anxiety scores. The average score was 215.38 with a standard deviation of 65.29. It's important to note that children with the lowest levels of performance in mathematics may be at greater risk of developing ADHD and social problems, as well as a conduct disorder or an oppositional attitude disorder. Students from Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and Thailand tend to have lower self-concepts and self-efficacy in mathematics and higher levels of mathematical anxiety than those from Western European countries like Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Sweden and Switzerland. Teachers can help reduce math anxiety by choosing teaching strategies that increase student interest and motivation.
This could include relating mathematics to student lives and everyday life situations.
