About relationships between L2 students’ mental states and their academic performance in Japanese colleges/universities

I have been noticing students with mental health issues in my EFL classrooms. Some such students have tried to consult about their cases with me, and the number of students who consult me appears to be growing. Students’ mental health issues in Japanese colleges/universities seem to have already arisen at least more than two decades ago. According to a survey conducted between 1990 and 1996 (Watanabe, 1999), more than 50% of 2,940 students had been categorised as mentally unhealthy. However, researchers seem not to have adequately considered such mental health issues, particularly in the fields of education and L2 learning. This paper discusses the relationship between students’ psychological health and their academic performance, including L2 (English as a second/foreign language) learning.