Youngest In Class? Beware Of Mental Illness
Study Links Psychiatric Disorders To Age In Classroom
POSTED: 3:10 p.m. EDT August 29, 2003
The youngest kids in the classroom may have a higher risk of mental health problems, according to a new study published in this week's issue of the British Medical Journal.
Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 schoolchildren in England, Scotland and Wales by using reports from teachers, parents and the students. The responses were used to generate a measure of their mental health.
In England and Wales, the oldest children in the school year are born in September and the youngest in August. Researchers found that children born in the summer months were much more likely to have suffered from psychiatric disorders.
In Scotland, the oldest children in a school year are born in March and the youngest in February. Despite the differences in the education system, researchers found a similar trend in Scotland, confirming that it is the child's age, relative to their peers, that influences mental health rather than simply the season in which they were born.
The researchers suggest that teachers should be more aware of the age differences among students and adopt a more flexible approach to a child's progression through school.
Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 schoolchildren in England, Scotland and Wales by using reports from teachers, parents and the students. The responses were used to generate a measure of their mental health.
In England and Wales, the oldest children in the school year are born in September and the youngest in August. Researchers found that children born in the summer months were much more likely to have suffered from psychiatric disorders.
In Scotland, the oldest children in a school year are born in March and the youngest in February. Despite the differences in the education system, researchers found a similar trend in Scotland, confirming that it is the child's age, relative to their peers, that influences mental health rather than simply the season in which they were born.
The researchers suggest that teachers should be more aware of the age differences among students and adopt a more flexible approach to a child's progression through school.
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