Page 255 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 255
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Mental Health as a Risk Factor for ESL:
Diagnostics, Prevention, Intervention
Ana Kozina
Synopsis
Mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression) are some of the
risk factors for ESL and, by focusing on mental health prevention
and intervention programmes in the school environment, we can
reduce the many negative consequences poor mental health has on
both the individual and community levels.
Summary
ESL is a complex long-term process involving multiple environmen-
tal, psychological and academic factors. There is increasing recogni-
tion of the need to recognise the role of mental health in educational
processes (including in ESL). Studies investigating whether common
mental disorders indeed constitute relevant risk factors for ESLers
have provided little consistent evidence. In the paper, we focus on
internalisation problems (e.g. anxiety and depression) and external-
isation problems (e.g. aggression) as well as the mechanisms link-
ing them to lower academic achievement and ESL. The underlying
mechanisms of mental health problems associated with low achieve-
ment are related to lower connectedness to school, negative attitudes
to school, and peer rejection (in case of aggression and disruptive
behaviour disorders), lower engagement through impaired mastery
beliefs and negative emotionality (as in the case of depression) and
difficulties with cognitive functioning through reduced memory
255
Mental Health as a Risk Factor for ESL:
Diagnostics, Prevention, Intervention
Ana Kozina
Synopsis
Mental health problems (e.g. anxiety, depression) are some of the
risk factors for ESL and, by focusing on mental health prevention
and intervention programmes in the school environment, we can
reduce the many negative consequences poor mental health has on
both the individual and community levels.
Summary
ESL is a complex long-term process involving multiple environmen-
tal, psychological and academic factors. There is increasing recogni-
tion of the need to recognise the role of mental health in educational
processes (including in ESL). Studies investigating whether common
mental disorders indeed constitute relevant risk factors for ESLers
have provided little consistent evidence. In the paper, we focus on
internalisation problems (e.g. anxiety and depression) and external-
isation problems (e.g. aggression) as well as the mechanisms link-
ing them to lower academic achievement and ESL. The underlying
mechanisms of mental health problems associated with low achieve-
ment are related to lower connectedness to school, negative attitudes
to school, and peer rejection (in case of aggression and disruptive
behaviour disorders), lower engagement through impaired mastery
beliefs and negative emotionality (as in the case of depression) and
difficulties with cognitive functioning through reduced memory
255
