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Study Shows Benefits Of Higher Education Beyond Dollars And Cents

The benefits of higher education go far beyond employment and money, according to a new report. A postsecondary degree improves outcomes in everything from personal health and character to civic engagement and relationships.

The study by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup was reported by Inside Higher Ed.

Among the findings, 92% of respondents with a graduate degree reported they voted in the most recent federal election, compared with 59% of those with no postsecondary education.

Overall, on 49 out of the 52 metrics the study measured, people with postsecondary education expressed a stronger positive connection than those without, Inside Higher Ed reported.

The study also found that a college education was more strongly associated with one negative trait: feeling "discouraged or saddened by things outside my control."

NOTE: EdSource receives funding from several foundations, including the Lumina Foundation. EdSource maintains sole editorial control over the content of its coverage.

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Study Finds Increased Risk Of Depression And Anxiety Among Higher Education Students

Young people who are in higher education in England face a small increased risk of depression and anxiety, compared to their peers who are not attending higher education, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The research paper, published in The Lancet Public Health, is the first to find evidence of higher levels of depression and anxiety among higher education students compared with their peers.

The authors found that by age 25, the difference had disappeared between graduates and non-graduates.

In recent years in the UK we have seen an increase in mental health problems among young people, so there has been an increased focus on how to support students. Here we have found concerning evidence that students may have a higher risk of depression and anxiety than their peers of the same age who are not in higher education.

The first couple of years of higher education are a crucial time for development, so if we could improve the mental health of young people during this time it could have long term benefits for their health and wellbeing, as well as for their educational achievement and longer-term success."

Dr Gemma Lewis, Lead author, UCL Psychiatry

The researchers used data from the Longitudinal Studies of Young People in England (LSYPE1 and LSYPE2). The first study included 4,832 young people born in 1989-90, who were aged 18-19 in the years 2007-9. The second study included 6,128 participants born in 1998-99, who were aged 18-19 in the years 2016-18 (i.E., prior to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic). In both studies, just over half attended higher education.

Participants in the studies have completed surveys about their general mental health, to investigate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction, at multiple time points over the years.

The researchers found a small difference in symptoms of depression and anxiety at age 18-19 between students (including those at university and other higher education institutions) and non-students.

This association persisted after adjustment for potentially confounding factors including, among others, socioeconomic status, parents' education, and alcohol use.

The analysis suggests that if the potential mental health risks of attending higher education were eliminated, the incidence of depression and anxiety could potentially be reduced by 6% among people aged 18-19.

First author Dr Tayla McCloud (UCL Psychiatry) said: "Based on our findings, we cannot say why students might be more at risk of depression and anxiety than their peers, but it could be related to academic or financial pressure. This increased risk among students has not been found in studies in the past, so if the association has only recently emerged, it may be related to increased financial pressures and worries about achieving high results in the wider economic and social context.

"We would have expected higher education students to have better mental health than their non-student peers as they tend to be from more privileged backgrounds on average, so these results are particularly concerning. More research is needed to clarify the mental health risks facing students.

"Improving our understanding of modifiable risk factors for depression and anxiety is a global health priority, and it is clear that supporting the mental health of our young people is vitally important."

The study was commissioned and funded by England's Department for Education.

Source:

Journal reference:

McCloud, T., et al. (2023) The association between higher education attendance and common mental health problems among young people in England: evidence from two population-based cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. Doi.Org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00188-3.

UChicago Education Lab Study Finds Decrease In Arrests, Suspensions In Schools That Use Restorative Practices

New research from the University of Chicago Education Lab finds that restorative practices in schools can significantly reduce suspensions and student arrests for violent and non-violent offenses and increase student perceptions of belonging and school safety.  

The study, which evaluated the effect of restorative practices rolled out across Chicago public high schools beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year, suggests these practices are generating genuine, positive changes in student behavior. Schools that implemented RP policies saw out-of-school suspensions fall 18%. There was a 35% reduction in student arrests in school and a 15% reduction in out-of-school student arrests. The study saw declines in arrests for both violent and non-violent offenses.  

As the scrutiny over zero-tolerance policies has increased in the past few years, more school districts are exploring alternatives to harsh punitive measures. Many school leaders are looking for ways to avoid suspending a large number of students, to avert racial disparity gaps and to create a more inclusive and friendly learning environment. 

Zero-tolerance policies often criminalize students of color. For example, while black students made up 15% of students in 2016, they accounted for 31% of school-related arrest and referrals to law enforcement, according to federal data.  

Restorative practices can involve bringing students together in classroom circles for non-judgmental conflict resolution and encouraging self-reflection and empathetic listening.  

"Our research shows that restorative practices can make a real, positive difference in addressing students' socio-emotional needs," said Sadie Stockdale Jefferson, executive director of the University of Chicago Education Lab. "We hope these findings inform how schools advance the health and success of students." 

The study measured the impact of RP on student behavior and educational outcomes in Chicago, the nation's fourth-largest school district. In addition to significant decreases in student arrests and suspensions, RP improved students' perceptions of school climate. This improvement is driven by large increases in students' perceptions that their peers' classroom behavior improved, their increased feeling that they belong at school and that school is a safe place to be.  

Programmatic benefits were particularly large for Black students, although the authors also found evidence that Latino male students' test scores may have declined in response to RP adoption. Future research is needed to understand why students might have been affected in different ways.  

While RP policies have previously shown promising results, this study fills a crucial gap in the research by providing the first causal evidence of the effectiveness of RP in schools. Administrators can now take into consideration this extended analysis when implementing their own programs, particularly as schools continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study authors note.  

The study: "From Retributive to Restorative: An Alternative Approach to Justice"

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