Mental health and educational experiences among Black youth

For Black adolescents, educational success remains a continued challenge. Though many factors have been found to influence educational outcomes, the relationship between mental health and the educational experiences of Black adolescents has not been well investigated. Furthermore, research suggests that to comprehensively assess mental health, indicators of both psychosocial wellness and problems need to be considered. Using nationally representative data from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent (NSAL-A), the current study investigated the relationship between profiles of mental health and educational outcomes among Black adolescents, ages 13-17. The NSAL-A is a part of the NSAL, which provides extensive data on mental disorders and the mental health of adult Americans of African ancestry.  To identify distinct profiles of youth mental health, latent profile analysis was conducted using the mean scores of self-esteem, mastery, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Then, bivariate relationships between most likely group membership and youth demographics and educational experiences (i.e., school bonding, grades) were compared. A two-profile mental health model best fit the data resulting in a high depressive-stress group and a high self-esteem-mastery group. Significant differences in income level, school bonding, and grades were observed between the two groups. Results support the importance of better mental health to improved educational experiences among Black adolescents, as youth in the high self-esteem mastery group had better grades and connections to school.  Findings have implications for a more comprehensive view of mental health in the development of interventions that target better educational experiences for Black youth.