Understanding Academic Pressure in Primary School: Associations With Mental Health and Social Connectedness

Elien Vanluydt, Philippe Delespaul, Polina Putrik, Thérèse van Amelsvoort, Mark Levels, Tim Huijts, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market , School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, Department of Psychiatry , Mental Health and Neuroscience Institute, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, Mondriaan Mental Health Centre, the Netherlands, Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute , Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University, the Netherlands, Department of Knowledge , Living Lab Public Health Mosa, Public Health Service South Limburg , GGD Zuid Limburg, the Netherlands

The Journal of Early Adolescence

Published online on April 27, 2026

Abstract

The Journal of Early Adolescence, Ahead of Print.
Academic pressure is increasingly recognized as a factor in declining adolescent mental health, yet this phenomenon remains underexplored among early adolescents in primary education. This study investigates sources of academic pressure among 585 Dutch ...