Increased school choices that improve students’ mental health

Allowing families to choose a better school for their children could play an important role in improving student mental health, including lowering adolescent suicide rates, a peer-reviewed journal published. New research suggests School effectiveness and school improvement..

This study is the first of its kind to investigate relations with the United States. School selection Policy and teenage suicide Mental health issues..

U.S. states are expanding private school options Charter schoolIt is publicly funded but has charters to operate outside the limits of many of the usual neighborhood school regulations. There is also a voucher program for students to attend a private school of their choice. More than 6% (more than 3.1 million) of all public school students attend charter schools and more than 5.7 million students attend private schools. However, little is known about whether these choices affect a student’s mental health.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about half of teens (ages 13-18) experience lifelong mental illness. Between 2007 and 2015, suicide rates doubled for girls aged 15-19 and increased by 30% for boys of the same age. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15-34 and the third leading cause of death among Americans aged 10-14.

To investigate the relationship between school choice and adolescent suicide, and the impact of private schools on adult mental health, researchers conducted data from 49 state public and private schools from 1976 to 2016 and 1997. We analyzed national representative data of 4,353 students who participated from 2010 to 1998. A cohort of national youth longitudinal surveys (followed for about 15 years).

The findings show that states that have adopted voucher and charter school selection methods Suicide rate Among young people, even after considering demographic factors (age, race, etc.) and economic factors (unemployment rate, percentage of states below the poverty line, etc.). Researchers estimate that the effects of the Charter School Act will lead to a reduction in suicide rates between the ages of 15 and 19 by about 10%.

Further analysis of the survey data is conducted after the private school manages important sociodemographic and health factors, including measurements of gender, parental education level, household income, race, and mental health near the start of the study. However, it suggests that it is related to improving mental health in adulthood.

Compared to Public schoolIndividuals attending private schools reported being in mental health at about 30 years of age, reducing their chances of being treated for mental illness by about 2 percentage points.

“Our findings raise the question of whether increasing school choice can improve students’ short-term and long-term mental health,” said Western, North Carolina, USA, who co-led the study. Professor Angela Dills of the University of Carolina said. “Private schools can face more competitive pressure to improve their mental health if they want to provide a safer school environment and stay open, while public schools are difficult for them. You are more likely to suffer from government regulations. Manage discipline policies and create a strong school culture. “

According to Corey de Angelis, co-author of the Reason Foundation in Washington, DC, “Our result is to expand school options. student Mental health issues.Unfortunately, many students are stuck in an unhealthy or dangerous state school An environment that can have a very detrimental effect on the mind health..Mechanisms to promote with further research mental health With charter school Private school I was able to identify it. ”