Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England

TY - JOUR

T1 - Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England

AU - Leurent, Baptiste

AU - Dodd, Matthew

AU - Allen, Elizabeth

AU - Viner, Russell

AU - Scott, Stephen

AU - Bonell, Chris

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - Background and objectivesStudies 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsWe 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.ConclusionsOur 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.

AB - Background and objectivesStudies 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsWe 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.ConclusionsOur 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.

U2 - 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100033

DO - 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100033

M3 - Article

SN - 2666-5603

VL - 1

JO - SSM - Mental Health

JF - SSM - Mental Health

M1 - 100033

ER -