Higher Achievement Schools, Peers, and Mental Health

Abstract

Although many students suffer from anxiety and depression, and often identify school pressure and concerns about their futures as the main reasons for their worries, little is known about the consequences of the schooling environment on students’ mental health. Using a regression discontinuity analysis in the largest Norwegian cities, we show that eligibility to enrol in a higher achievement high school increases the probability of enrolment in higher education and decreases the probability of diagnosis or treatment of psychological conditions. We provide suggestive evidence that changes in both teacher and peers’ characteristics are likely drivers of these effects.