Meißner Carina, Meyrose Ann-Katrin, Kaman Anne, Michalkiewicz Martha, Ravens-Sieberer Ulrike
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Clinical Psychology, Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Front Pediatr. 2022 Feb 25;10:828085. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.828085. eCollection 2022.
Mental health problems (MHP) in adolescence are a major public health concern of the 21st century. Global prevalence estimates range between 10 and 20%. Most MHP manifest by adolescence and persistence rates are high, often accumulating further impairment in early adulthood and beyond. We analyzed data of = 433 participants from the German longitudinal BELLA study to examine whether MHP in adolescence negatively affect educational attainment in early adulthood. Externalizing and internalizing MHP among adolescents aged 11-17 years were assessed at baseline using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Educational attainment was assessed at the 6-year follow-up based on level of education, failure to attain the expected level of education, and dropout from vocational or academic training. Findings from logistic regression analyses suggest that more pronounced externalizing MHP in adolescence predict a lower level of education in early adulthood. We did not find a corresponding effect for internalizing MHP. Adolescents with higher-educated parents were less likely to attain a lower level of education themselves and less likely to fail in attaining their expected level of education. Our findings support that educational attainment presents a central channel for intergenerational reproduction of education and forms an important pathway for upward, but also downward social mobility. The current study emphasizes school as a central setting to implement measures to prevent onset and persistence of MHP and to foster equal opportunities in education.
青少年心理健康问题（MHP）是21世纪主要的公共卫生关注点。全球患病率估计在10%至20%之间。大多数心理健康问题在青少年期显现，且持续率很高，常常在成年早期及以后进一步累积损害。我们分析了来自德国纵向BELLA研究的433名参与者的数据，以检验青少年心理健康问题是否会对成年早期的教育成就产生负面影响。使用优势与困难问卷在基线时评估了11至17岁青少年的外化和内化心理健康问题。在6年随访时根据教育水平、未达到预期教育水平以及职业或学术培训辍学情况评估教育成就。逻辑回归分析结果表明，青少年期更明显的外化心理健康问题预示着成年早期的教育水平较低。我们未发现内化心理健康问题有相应影响。父母受教育程度较高的青少年自己获得较低教育水平的可能性较小，未达到预期教育水平的可能性也较小。我们的研究结果支持，教育成就呈现了教育代际再生产的核心渠道，并且形成了向上以及向下社会流动的重要途径。当前研究强调学校是实施措施以预防心理健康问题的发生和持续，并促进教育机会平等的核心场所。
