Mental Health Associations with Academic Performance and Education Behaviors in Canadian Secondary School Students

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  • Author(s): Duncan, Markus J. (ORCID Duncan, Markus J. (ORCID 0000-0002-9190-7147); Patte, Karen A.; Leatherdale, Scott T.
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Canadian Journal of School Psychology. Dec 2021 36(4):335-357.
  • Publication Date:
    2021
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      23
    • Education Level:
      Secondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Mental Health; Predictor Variables; Academic Achievement; Student Behavior; Secondary School Students; Foreign Countries; Anxiety Disorders; Depression (Psychology); Well Being; Attendance Patterns; Homework; Multivariate Analysis
    • Subject Terms:
      Canada
    • Accession Number:
      10.1177/0829573521997311
    • ISSN:
      0829-5735
    • Abstract:
      Course grades, as an indicator of academic performance, are a primary academic concern at the secondary school level and have been associated with various aspects of mental health status. The purpose of this study is to simultaneously assess whether symptoms of mental illness (depression and anxiety) and mental well-being (psychosocial well-being) are associated with self-reported grades (in their primary language [English or French] and math courses) and education behaviors (school days missed due to health, truancy, and frequency of incomplete homework) in a sample of secondary school students across Canada (n = 57,394). Multivariate imputation by chained equations and multilevel proportional odds logistic regressions were used to assess associations between mental health scores, academic performance and education behaviors. Lower depression and higher psychosocial well-being scores were associated with better grade levels in both math and language courses, as well as better education behaviors. In turn, better education behaviors were associated with higher course grades. Depression scores and psychosocial well-being scores remained associated with higher grades after controlling for education behaviors, however the magnitude of association was diminished. Results indicate that the effects of mental health factors were partially attenuated by education behaviors, suggesting while reduced class attendance and poor homework adherence were associated with both academic outcomes and mental health, they do not account entirely for the association between lower grades and worse mental health.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2021
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1315064