A recent study published in the BMJ Open journal has found that children who experience poor mental health are more likely to struggle academically. The report shows that these children may be up to three times more likely to not pass five GCSEs, including maths and English, compared to their peers. The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) conducted the survey and highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on children’s learning and mental health. Researchers are classifying this situation as a “double hit” to the educational prospects of children.

The study examined the correlation between poor mental health in adolescence and educational achievement at the age of 16. This was done by analysing responses from over 1,100 children aged between 11 and 14 from the Understanding Society study. The NatCen linked this information to the National Pupil Database for England, which recorded their exam results at the age of 16. The study discovered an independent association between mental difficulties in adolescence and educational attainment and flagged the fact that mental health problems particularly impacted boys’ educational outcomes.

Even after taking into account background factors that are already known to impact mental health and grades – such as poverty, child-parent relationships, and parental engagement with schoolwork – the study found that children experiencing poor mental health remain twice as likely to not succeed in achieving five GCSE grades A*-C, including maths and English.

The report argues that by improving young people’s mental health, the attainment gap at GCSE level may narrow, and this can boost the performance of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are highly likely to struggle with mental health difficulties. The report goes on to define how hyperactivity disorders predict lower grades for both sexes among students.

Dr Neil Smith, who led the study at NatCen, explained that “as the school year comes to an end, young people are facing a double hit to their educational prospects… the pandemic has adversely affected many young people’s mental health, and it’s likely those whose mental health was affected the most by the pandemic will face greater difficulties in making up for learning time that’s been lost.”

A spokesperson for the government has acknowledged the importance of prioritising children’s mental health and wellbeing alongside academic recovery. The government has announced £3bn to boost learning, including almost £950m in additional funding for schools that can be used with some flexibility to support pupils’ needs, such as mental health and wellbeing. To extend this, millions of pounds have also been invested specifically into funding additional mental health teams that will be working with schools and colleges. This includes funding to train a senior mental health staff lead in up to 7,800 settings, and training from mental health experts in supporting pupils, parents, and staff members manage additional pressures, anxiety, stress, bereavement, and any other emotional responses to the pandemic.