The Guardian
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Richard Adams Education editor
A study involving over 65,000 students found that procrastination is the primary issue affecting academic performance, surpassing concerns like ADHD and anxiety. Nearly half of the participants cited procrastination as a major barrier to their studies and a source of significant distress, impacting them more than depression or financial worries. Itamar Shatz, an affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge who authored the study, emphasizes that while most people occasionally procrastinate, it severely hinders academic success for some students. The research suggests procrastination can exacerbate other issues such as stress through a vicious cycle, where putting off tasks leads to increased anxiety and further avoidance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
According to a study published in PLOS One, nearly half of 65,000 surveyed students identified procrastination as the biggest threat to their academic performance, surpassing issues like depression and anxiety. Conducted by Itamar Shatz, an affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge, the research revealed that procrastination caused significant distress in more than twice as many participants compared to those who cited mental health issues such as depression. Surprisingly, Shatz noted that while he anticipated negative effects from procrastination, its severity was unexpectedly high among students. The findings highlight the need for universities and educational institutions to address this issue, potentially integrating strategies to help students manage their time more effectively.
Written for “Student Procrastination Issues” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 64896 · logged 2026-10-08
Procrastination is the biggest problem that can harm students’ academic performance at university, according to a study of more than 65,000 young people who placed it above issues such as ADHD, anxiety or financial worries.
uncertain
who → harm → ADHD
The study found that nearly half of the students surveyed named procrastination as the thing damaging their ability to do academic work, more than twice the number who named depression, while the same proportion said procrastination caused them significant distress above any other problems including family pressures or bullying.
Itamar Shatz, the author of the study and an affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge, said that while he expected the survey of US students would show that they experienced harm from procrastination, he was surprised by how strongly it affected them.
asserted
it → find → them
Shatz said: “Pretty much all of us procrastinate but it’s not a huge impediment for all of us.
asserted
it → say → us
It’s not just something we occasionally run into but, as we can see in these findings, it can be a major obstacle.
asserted
it → ’ → findings
“It’s an obstacle that can interfere with academic success, with success in the workplace, it can cause issues in relationships, it can cause stress, it can cause health issues and stop us reaching out for help.”
asserted
us → ’ → help
The study, published in the journal Plos One, also suggests that procrastination could be a factor in a “vicious cycle” that can cause or exaggerate other issues such as stress.
uncertain
that → publish → stress
“An example of such a feedback loop is a student procrastinating on a task, which causes them to feel stressed, which interferes with their sleep, which causes them to procrastinate on the task further,” the study said.
asserted
study → procrastinate → task
Fuschia Sirois, a psychology professor at Durham University and a co-editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Health Psychology, who was not involved in the study, said: “The salience of procrastination in students’ lives and its harms has been a topic of research for almost 30 years, with the first studies on the impact of procrastination on health and wellbeing conducted in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
asserted
studies → involve → 1990s
So this is an issue for which there is an established evidence base that clearly highlights the negative impact of procrastination on students’ lives.
asserted
that → be → lives
“This descriptive study with a large sample provides some additional insights into the relative impact of procrastination with respect to its range of harms.
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study → provide → harms
But it is just a snapshot, so limits the conclusions we can draw.”
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we → limit → conclusions
Sirois said myths about procrastination “being a character flaw” have persisted despite the existing research.
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procrastination → say → research
“People procrastinate to avoid the difficult emotions associated with a task, which affords them short-term mood repair.
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which → procrastinate → repair
But in the long run the feelings of guilt, shame and stress from procrastinating catch up to them and take a toll on health and wellbeing,” she said.
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she → procrastinate → health
Shatz, who has recently published a guide to overcoming procrastination, said that procrastination should not be compared with laziness, because procrastinators can often be highly motivated to tackle a task only to be derailed by other distractions such as perfectionism or burn-out.
asserted
procrastinators → publish → perfectionism
Universities should be aware that many of their students are likely to be hampered by procrastination.
“They should understand that procrastination isn’t just a time management flaw that they can fix with a flyer, but it is one of the biggest obstacles that students face and needs to be treated with positive interventions.
asserted
students → hamper → interventions
The good thing is that research shows that interventions can help,” Shatz said.
asserted
Shatz → show → ?
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