Nordmo Magnus, Sunde Hans Fredrik, Kleppestø Thomas H, Nordmo Morten, Caspi Avshalom, Moffitt Terrie E, Torvik Fartein Ask
Department of Educational Science, University of South-Eastern Norway.
Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Psychol Sci. 2025 Jul;36(7):499-513. doi: 10.1177/09567976251347221. Epub 2025 Jun 26.
The positive relation between mental health and educational attainment is well established, yet the extent to which cognitive abilities influence this gradient or independently predict mental health outcomes remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between adolescent cognitive abilities, educational attainment, and adult mental health. Cognitive ability was ascertained in Norwegian military conscript test data ( = 272,351; mean age 17.8 years; males only), whereas mental disorders were ascertained using the Norwegian register of primary care diagnoses received between the age of 36-40. Higher cognitive abilities were associated with a monotonically decreasing risk of developing all the studied mental disorders except bipolar disorder. The association held even when comparing the cognitive abilities of brothers raised in the same family, attesting that cognitive ability and mental disorders are not associated because both arise from the same family background circumstances. Similarly, individuals with higher educational attainment had fewer mental health disorders. The association between low cognitive abilities and the risk of mental disorders was notably stronger in males with low educational attainment, compared to those with high educational attainment. These individuals may be an underutilized target group for mental-disorder prevention.
心理健康与教育程度之间的正向关系已得到充分证实，但认知能力在多大程度上影响这一梯度或独立预测心理健康结果仍不明确。在本研究中，我们调查了青少年认知能力、教育程度与成年心理健康之间的关联。认知能力通过挪威征兵测试数据确定（n = 272,351；平均年龄17.8岁；仅男性），而精神障碍则通过挪威36至40岁之间接受的初级保健诊断登记册确定。除双相情感障碍外，较高的认知能力与所有研究的精神障碍发生风险单调降低相关。即使比较在同一家庭中长大的兄弟的认知能力，这种关联仍然存在，证明认知能力和精神障碍并非因来自相同的家庭背景环境而相关。同样，教育程度较高的个体患心理健康障碍的情况较少。与高教育程度的男性相比，低认知能力与精神障碍风险之间的关联在低教育程度的男性中尤为明显。这些个体可能是精神障碍预防中未得到充分利用的目标群体。
