Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England
Background and objectives: Studies suggest that individual student-reported connection to school is associated with better mental health. However, there is less evidence for associations between schools’ overall school climate and the mental health of their students. This may reflect limitations in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-12-01
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| Series: | SSM - Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560321000335 |
| _version_ | 1818723855466758144 |
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| author | Baptiste Leurent Matthew Dodd Elizabeth Allen Russell Viner Stephen Scott Chris Bonell |
| author_facet | Baptiste Leurent Matthew Dodd Elizabeth Allen Russell Viner Stephen Scott Chris Bonell |
| author_sort | Baptiste Leurent |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectives: Studies suggest that individual student-reported connection to school is associated with better mental health. However, there is less evidence for associations between schools’ overall school climate and the mental health of their students. This may reflect limitations in which mental health outcomes have been examined. We conducted a large longitudinal study in schools, hypothesising that we would find associations at both the student and school levels between student-reported positive school climate, and reduced student conduct and emotional problems and improved mental wellbeing. Methods: We tracked students in 20 English secondary schools from near the end of the first year of secondary school (age 11/12) over 3 years using reliable measures of school climate and mental health. Results: We found associations between student-level reports of positive school climate at baseline, and reduced conduct and emotional problems and better mental wellbeing at 3-year follow-up adjusting for various potential confounders. We also found some evidence of adjusted associations between baseline school-level measures of overall positive climate and better student mental health at follow-up. However, these student- and school-level associations reduced considerably when also adjusting for baseline mental health. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are associations between school climate and student mental health at both the student and school level but these associations are complex and not necessarily causal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:17:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2fa03472d327427bbf08b0365eb8de40 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-5603 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T21:17:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM - Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-2fa03472d327427bbf08b0365eb8de402022-12-21T21:32:19ZengElsevierSSM - Mental Health2666-56032021-12-011100033Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in EnglandBaptiste Leurent0Matthew Dodd1Elizabeth Allen2Russell Viner3Stephen Scott4Chris Bonell5Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UKDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UKDepartment of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UKInstitute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford St, London, WC1N 1EH, UKInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UKDepartment of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK; Corresponding author. Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK.Background and objectives: Studies suggest that individual student-reported connection to school is associated with better mental health. However, there is less evidence for associations between schools’ overall school climate and the mental health of their students. This may reflect limitations in which mental health outcomes have been examined. We conducted a large longitudinal study in schools, hypothesising that we would find associations at both the student and school levels between student-reported positive school climate, and reduced student conduct and emotional problems and improved mental wellbeing. Methods: We tracked students in 20 English secondary schools from near the end of the first year of secondary school (age 11/12) over 3 years using reliable measures of school climate and mental health. Results: We found associations between student-level reports of positive school climate at baseline, and reduced conduct and emotional problems and better mental wellbeing at 3-year follow-up adjusting for various potential confounders. We also found some evidence of adjusted associations between baseline school-level measures of overall positive climate and better student mental health at follow-up. However, these student- and school-level associations reduced considerably when also adjusting for baseline mental health. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are associations between school climate and student mental health at both the student and school level but these associations are complex and not necessarily causal.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560321000335SchoolsAdolescentsMental wellbeingPsychological problemsSchool engagement |
| spellingShingle | Baptiste Leurent Matthew Dodd Elizabeth Allen Russell Viner Stephen Scott Chris Bonell Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England SSM - Mental Health Schools Adolescents Mental wellbeing Psychological problems School engagement |
| title | Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England |
| title_full | Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England |
| title_fullStr | Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England |
| title_full_unstemmed | Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England |
| title_short | Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England |
| title_sort | is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health longitudinal study of young people in england |
| topic | Schools Adolescents Mental wellbeing Psychological problems School engagement |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560321000335 |
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