Psychiatric correlates of behavioral indicators of school disengagement in the United States
Open accessAbstract
The current study examined relations between behavioral indicators of school disengagement and psychiatric disorders. Data was derived from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 43,093). Indicators of school disengagement and diagnoses of personality, substance use, mood, and anxiety disorders were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-DSM-IV-version. Findings from multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that cumulative school disengagement is associated with increased odds of reporting a lifetime psychiatric disorder and general antisociality. Behavioral indicators of school disengagement such as absenteeism and cutting class are potentially important signs of psychiatric distress and conduct problems. In addition to attending to academic achievement outcomes school disengagement prevention strategies should consider targeting these psychiatric conditions in order to reduce school dropout.
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Early-onset major depressive disorder predicts later difficulties in role transitions, such as lower educational attainment, higher risk of teen childbearing, marital disruption, and unstable employment.
“Early-onset MDD is found to predict difficulties in subsequent role transitions, including low educational attainment, high risk of teen child-bearing, marital disruption, and unstable employment.”
From The Costs of Depression (2012) · cites this paper as [25]
Early-onset mental disorders are associated with ending education, with disruptive behavior disorders and bipolar disorder showing the strongest associations, and major depressive disorder associated with roughly 60% higher odds of failing to complete secondary school in high-income countries.
“Several studies show early-onset mental disorders associated termination of education.19–26 While disruptive behavior disorders and bipolar disorder tend to have the strongest associations in these studies, MDD also is significantly associated with a roughly 60% elevated odds of failure to complete secondary school than otherwise comparable youth in high income countries.”
From The Costs of Depression (2012) · cites this paper as [25]
One of the most consistently documented mechanisms is the association of depression with non-adherence to treatment regimens.
“One of the most consistently documented is the association of depression with non-adherence to treatment regimens. 191,192”
From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [192]
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“Do I Belong Here?” School Dropout
Capuzzi, D., & Gross, D. R. (2025) · doi:10.1002/9781394347445.ch17
- Authors
- Vaughn, M. G., Wexler, J., Beaver, K. M., Perron, B. E., Roberts, G., & Fu, Q.
- Affiliations
- Saint Louis University (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Florida State University (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Vaughn, Michael G.
- Venue
- Psychiatric Quarterly
- Published
- 2010-10-19
- Volume
- 82
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 191-206
- ISSN
- 0033-2720 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6709
- PMC
- PMC3174864
- OpenAlex
- W2070704693
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 12.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Psychiatric Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Saint Louis University
- Greater Texas Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- School for Public Health Research
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA021405, R01DA021405)
- National Cancer Institute (K07CA104119)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P50HD052117)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Outcomes and Influences
- Keywords
- school disengagement, mental illness, absenteeism, personality disorders, substance use disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, antisocial behavior, school dropout, school dropout prevention, academic performance
- MeSH terms
- Absenteeism, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Mental Disorders, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Student Dropouts, United States, Prevalence, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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