Excessive school absence linked to mental health
01-January-2012
Students who are frequently absent from school may face mental health problems in future, according to research results recently released.
The study, which was based on some 17,000 youths throughout USA shows that youths who are frequently missing from the school may have a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders later on in adolescence.
"We've long known that students who are frequently absent from school are more likely to have symptoms of psychiatric disorders, but less clear is the reason why," says Jeffrey Wood, associate professor of educational psychology and psychiatry at UCLA, who led the study.
"These two aspects of youths' adjustment may at times exacerbate one another, leading over the course of time to more of each."
The study found that between grades 2 and 8, students who already had mental health symptoms (such as antisocial behavior or depression) missed more school days over the course of the year than their healthy friends.
Middle and high school students, who were chronically absent in an earlier year of the study tended to have more depression and antisocial problems in subsequent years.
For example, eighth graders who were absent more than 20 days were more likely to have higher levels of anxiety and depression in 10th grade than those eighth graders who were absent fewer than 20 days.
"The findings can help inform the development of programs to reduce school absenteeism," according to Wood. "School personnel in middle schools and high schools could benefit from knowing that mental health issues and school absenteeism each influence the other over time.
The study, which was published in the Child Development journal, was jointly conducted by the researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Florida, Boston University, Oregon Social Learning Center, and Johns Hopkins University.
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