TY - JOUR

T1 - Mental health groups in high school students and later school dropout

T2 - A latent class and register-based follow-up analysis of the Danish National Youth Study

AU - Andersen, Susan

AU - Davidsen, Michael

AU - Nielsen, Line

AU - Tolstrup, Janne S.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background: Mental health represents an important public health issue, and mental health problems have been linked to school dropout. This study aimed to identify mental health groups of high school students using both positive and negative aspects of mental health and to examine whether these mental health groups longitudinally predict school dropout.Methods: We conducted latent class analysis using the Danish National Youth Study 2014 (n=60,526; mean 17.9 years) to identify clustering of mental health (11 items covering positive and negative aspects of emotional wellbeing and functioning in daily life), separately by sex. The relationship with subsequent school dropout was examinedusing logistic regression models, adjusted for age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Information on dropout status was obtained through educational registers. Results: School dropout rates was highest among frst-year students. Four mental health groups were identifed: Flourishing (females: 38%, males: 55%), moderate mental health (females: 15%, males: 20%), emotionally challenged(females: 28%, males: 15%) and languishing (females: 19%, males: 10%). Compared to the fourishing group, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for dropout were 3.43 (95% CI: 2.98, 3.95), 1.73 (95% CI: 1.45, 2.06) and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.52, 2.04) in the languishing, moderate mentally healthy and emotional challenged females. Results in males were comparable.Conclusions: Mental health in high school students cluster together in four categories among both males and females. Students who are languishing, emotionally challenged or moderate mentally healthy have about 1.5-foldto threefold higher risk of dropping out of high school compared with fourishing students. Universal mental health interventions may be a promising strategy, particularly in the frst year of high school where most students drop outof school.

AB - Background: Mental health represents an important public health issue, and mental health problems have been linked to school dropout. This study aimed to identify mental health groups of high school students using both positive and negative aspects of mental health and to examine whether these mental health groups longitudinally predict school dropout.Methods: We conducted latent class analysis using the Danish National Youth Study 2014 (n=60,526; mean 17.9 years) to identify clustering of mental health (11 items covering positive and negative aspects of emotional wellbeing and functioning in daily life), separately by sex. The relationship with subsequent school dropout was examinedusing logistic regression models, adjusted for age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Information on dropout status was obtained through educational registers. Results: School dropout rates was highest among frst-year students. Four mental health groups were identifed: Flourishing (females: 38%, males: 55%), moderate mental health (females: 15%, males: 20%), emotionally challenged(females: 28%, males: 15%) and languishing (females: 19%, males: 10%). Compared to the fourishing group, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for dropout were 3.43 (95% CI: 2.98, 3.95), 1.73 (95% CI: 1.45, 2.06) and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.52, 2.04) in the languishing, moderate mentally healthy and emotional challenged females. Results in males were comparable.Conclusions: Mental health in high school students cluster together in four categories among both males and females. Students who are languishing, emotionally challenged or moderate mentally healthy have about 1.5-foldto threefold higher risk of dropping out of high school compared with fourishing students. Universal mental health interventions may be a promising strategy, particularly in the frst year of high school where most students drop outof school.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Mental health

KW - School dropout

KW - High school students

KW - Adolescence

KW - Denmark

KW - Latent class analysis

U2 - 10.1186/s40359-021-00621-7

DO - 10.1186/s40359-021-00621-7

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34407891

VL - 9

JO - BMC psychology

JF - BMC psychology

SN - 2050-7283

IS - 1

M1 - 122

ER -