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Procrastination, stress, and self-rated health: A multi-sample meta-analysis
Fuschia M Sirois1, Cormac Monaghan2
1Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
British Journal of Health Psychology
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Chronic procrastination is linked to poorer self-rated health (SRH) and future SRH, with stress partially explaining this association. This highlights the health implications of delaying tasks.
Area of Science:
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
- Psychological Well-being
Background:
- Growing evidence links trait procrastination to specific poor health outcomes.
- Limited research explores procrastination's impact on overall health status and contributing factors.
- Theoretical frameworks include the cognitive process model of self-rated health (SRH) and the procrastination-health model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the association between trait procrastination and self-rated health (SRH) across multiple samples.
- To test the role of perceived stress as a contributing factor in the procrastination-SRH link.
- To explore the relationship between chronic procrastination and the discrepancy between current and future SRH.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 36 cross-sectional studies (N=8603) examining trait procrastination, current SRH, and future SRH.
- Inclusion of perceived stress measures in a subset of participants.
- Random effects meta-analyses were used to assess correlations, controlling for perceived stress; moderator analyses were conducted.
Main Results:
- Trait procrastination was significantly associated with poorer current SRH (r_avg=.21) and future SRH (r_avg=.13).
- After controlling for perceived stress, the association remained significant for current SRH but not future SRH.
- Procrastination showed a modest association with the discrepancy between current and future SRH.
Conclusions:
- Chronic procrastination is associated with poorer overall self-rated health status.
- Higher levels of perceived stress partially mediate the relationship between procrastination and self-rated health.
- Findings underscore the importance of addressing procrastination for improving overall health.
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