study or do homework and negatively affect an individual in many other areas. Some
longitudinal studies have demonstrated that untreated anxiety in adolescents and young
adults may lead to several behavioral, physical, and mental difficulties (Mahmoud,
Staten, Lennie, & Hall, 2015). Hypertension, coronary heart disease, alcohol dependence,
nicotine addiction, depression, and suicidality are some of the complications that may be
experienced by those with untreated anxiety (Boden, Fergusson, & Horwood, 2006;
Goodwin, Fergusson, & Horwood, 2004; Sonntag, Wittchen, Höfler, Kessler, & Stein,
2000; Stein, Fuetsch, Muller, Hofler, Lieb, & Wittchen, 2001; Volgelzangs, Seldenrijk,
Beekman, vanHout, deJonge, & Penninx 2010; Yan, Liu, Matthew, Daviglus, Ferguson,
& Kiefe, 2010). These difficulties and complications have a negative impact on those
experiencing them and can worsen anxiety, making it a challenging for students to be
successful. Furthermore, untreated anxiety may lead to pathological anxiety disorders
(Emilien, Durlach, & Lepola, 2002). In a study done by Beiter et al. (2015), students
living off-campus, transfer students, and upperclassmen all scored higher on depression,
anxiety, and stress scales when compared to students living on-campus, non-transfer
students, and underclassmen.
In a study done by Nail, Christofferson, Ginsburg, Drake, Kendall, McCracken, &
Sakolsky (2015) which surveyed teachers and parents, excessive anxiety has been
associated with academic underachievement, including low grades and academic
performance. One longitudinal study found that youth scoring in the top third on a
measure of anxious symptoms in first grade were more likely to score in the bottom third
of the sample in academic achievement in the fifth grade (Ialongo, Edelsohn, Werthamer-
Larsson, Crockett, & Kellam, 1995). Completing assignments, concentrating on work,