ArticleBMJ open2021
Adolescent mental health difficulties and educational attainment: findings from the UK household longitudinal study.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Approaches to early intervention for common mental health problems in young people: a systematic review.BMC medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Investigating the associations between neurodevelopmental and psychiatric genetic liability and adverse social and functional outcomes across childhood, adolescence and young-adulthood.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Mood Monitoring in Schools: A Promising Alternative to Single-Time-Point Screening.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- The impact of school absence on mental health in children and young people: Analysis of an English national birth cohort.PloS one · 2026Article
- Participatory adaptation of mental health screening tools for school-aged children: a qualitative study in Slovakia.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Healthy lives, enriched minds: the role of physical health and mental health on educational attainment in Northern Ireland.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Children and Young People's Priorities for Mental Health Research in Northern Ireland.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Article
- Examining drug poisoning in child and adolescent psychiatric patients: clinical analysis and pharmacy services.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Factors associated with the use of benzodiazepine and opioid prescription drug in the student population: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Mental health, gender, and higher education attainment.Zeitschrift fur Erziehungswissenschaft : ZfE · 2024Article
- Article
- A national multiple baseline cohort study of mental health conditions in early adolescence and subsequent educational outcomes in New Zealand.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Association between Psychopathological Symptoms and Aggression and Selected Biochemical Parameters in Adolescents with Behavioural and Emotional Disturbances.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study examines whether there is an independent association between mental difficulties in adolescence and educational attainment at age 16.
designLongitudinal study.
settingNationally representative data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) were linked to the National Pupil Database for England.
participantsRespondents (N=1100) to the UKHLS between 2009 and 2012 were linked to the National Pupil Database to investigate longitudinal associations between mental difficulties at ages 11-14 and educational attainment at age 16 (General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Not gaining five or more GCSE qualifications at age 16, including English and maths at grade A*-C.
resultsAn atypical total mental health difficulty score measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at ages 11-14 predicted low levels of educational attainment at age 16 (OR: 3.11 (95% CI: (2.11 to 4.57)). Controlling for prior attainment and family sociodemographic factors, happiness with school (/work) and parental health, school engagement and relationship with the child partially attenuated the association, which was significant in the fully adjusted model (2.05, 95% CI (1.15 to 3.68)). The association was maintained in the fully adjusted model for males only (OR: 2.77 (95% CI (1.24 to 6.16)) but not for females. Hyperactivity disorder strongly predicted lower attainment for males (OR: 2.17 (95% CI: (1.11 to 4.23)) and females (OR: 2.85 (95% CI (1.30 to 6.23)).
conclusionMental difficulties at ages 11-14 were independently linked to educational success at age 16, highlighting an important pathway through which health in adolescence can determine young people's life chances.
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