Most parents, teachers, and clinicians would probably agree that mental health can affect learning. When a students is struggling with anxiety, depression, behavioral difficulties, or other mental health challenges, concentrating in class, completing assignments, and staying engaged at school can become much more difficult.1–4
But are all mental disorders associated with poorer school achievement? Are some young people more vulnerable than others? And does it matter whether mental health difficulties emerge in early childhood or during adolescence?
These were some of the questions we explored in our recent study using nationwide Finnish register data from more than 837,000 young people. We examined mental disorder diagnoses recorded between childhood and adolescence and their association with school achievement at the end of comprehensive school, when students are typically 16 years old.
How is the association between mental disorders and school achievement at Age 16?
Overall, we found that students diagnosed with a mental disorder had lower school achievement at the end of comprehensive school than their peers without a diagnosis. This pattern was seen across almost all mental disorder categories we examined.
The largest differences were observed among adolescents diagnosed with substance use disorders. At the same time, one interesting exception emerged: girls with eating disorders tended to perform slightly better academically than their peers. Previous research suggests that characteristics such as perfectionism may partly explain this pattern.5
Taken together, the findings reinforce what many teachers and clinicians observe in practice: mental health difficulties can have important consequences for educational outcomes already at young age.
Do mental disorders affect girls and boys differently?
A particularly interesting finding was that when girls receive a mental disorder diagnosis, the impact on their academic performance tends to be greater than for boys. These findings were present across all mental disorders categories we examined and it was especially pronounced in developmental disorders. Several explanations may contribute to this pattern. Girls are more sensitive to academic pressure,6 and their difficulties may be less visible to teachers and professionals.7
Importantly, these findings suggest that schools and mental health services should pay close attention to how mental health difficulties affect learning among girls.
Does timing matter?
Another important finding concerned the timing of mental disorders.
Students whose disorders emerged later, particularly during adolescence, showed poorer school achievement than those whose difficulties emerged earlier in childhood.
At first glance, this may seem surprising. We often think of early-onset mental health problems as especially harmful. However, adolescence is also a period of major educational demands and transitions. Mental health difficulties occurring during these years may disrupt learning at a particularly important stage, just as young people are preparing for future educational pathways.
It is also possible that children who identified earlier receive support sooner, helping to reduce some of the long-term impact on learning.
Why does this matter?
School achievement is more than a report card. Educational success influences later opportunities, employment, income, health, and wellbeing throughout adulthood.
Our findings highlight the importance of recognizing mental health difficulties early and ensuring that appropriate support is available both in healthcare settings and in schools. They also remind us that adolescence remains a critical period for intervention and that girls experiencing mental health difficulties may require particular attention.
Supporting young people’s mental health is not only about reducing symptoms. It is also about helping them stay engaged in learning and achieve their educational potential.
Conclusions
Mental health and education are closely connected. Our findings suggest that mental disorders can have important consequences for school achievement, particularly for girls and for young people whose difficulties emerge during adolescence. Schools can play a crucial role in identifying struggling students and providing timely support. By strengthening collaboration between educators, families, and mental health services, we may be able to reduce the educational impact of mental health difficulties and help more young people reach their full potential.
If you’re an educator, school leader, or clinician and want to learn new ways to support students’ mental health, check out our upcoming webinar: How to Support Distressed Pupils: School-Based Resilience Training.
References
- Lawrence D, Dawson V, Houghton S, Goodsell B, Sawyer MG. Impact of mental disorders on attendance at school. Aust J Educ. 2019;63(1):5-21. doi:10.1177/0004944118823576
- Perry DF, Dunne MC, McFadden L, Campbell D. Reducing the Risk for Preschool Expulsion: Mental Health Consultation for Young Children with Challenging Behaviors. J Child Fam Stud. 2008;17(1):44-54. doi:10.1007/s10826-007-9140-7
- Askeland KG, Bøe T, Sivertsen B, et al. Association of Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescence and School Dropout. School Ment Health. 2022;14(4):1044-1056. doi:10.1007/s12310-022-09522-5
- Ringbom I, Suvisaari J, Kääriälä A, et al. Psychiatric disorders diagnosed in adolescence and subsequent long-term exclusion from education, employment or training: longitudinal national birth cohort study. Br J Psychiatry. 2022;220(3):148-153. doi:10.1192/bjp.2021.146
- Bills E, Greene D, Stackpole R, Egan SJ. Perfectionism and eating disorders in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Appetite. 2023;187:106586. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106586
- Montolio D, Taberner PA. Gender differences under test pressure and their impact on academic performance: A quasi-experimental design. J Econ Behav Organ. 2021;191:1065-1090. doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2021.09.021
- Sellers R, Maughan B, Pickles A, Thapar A, Collishaw S. Trends in parent- and teacher-rated emotional, conduct and ADHD problems and their impact in prepubertal children in Great Britain: 1999-2008. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015;56(1):49-57. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12273