New Report Connects Racial, Class Disparities in K-12 Students’ Mental Health to Chronic Absenteeism
A Nation’s Children at Risk is a new national report that spotlights the ongoing youth mental health crisis and rising rates of chronic absenteeism continuing to plague districts throughout the country. According to the report, access to in-school mental health support varies drastically among Black and low-income families. Families are “far less likely to report their child’s school offers counseling and other support but are more likely to use them than their affluent, white peers,” Marianna McMurdock noted in a recent article in The 74.
McMurdock notes that “just 29% of Black families and 37% of low-income families report that their child’s school offers mental health services, compared to 52% of white families and 59% of the most affluent,” according to the report released by University of Southern California researchers. “Lower income families reported using in-school mental health services more than five times as much as those with the highest incomes,” she added.
According to McMurdock, “The survey of 2,500 families is the latest national attempt to show the “very clear link” between poor mental health and chronic absenteeism. Over one in five children considered chronically absent, missing 10% or more of a school year, experienced conduct problems, like losing temper or fighting with peers. About one in ten report emotional or peer struggles.”
The results come as a surprise as it is expected that student mental health would be more evenly distributed across age and gender as “student mental health was a priority for many districts nationwide in spending federal pandemic relief funds in the last few years.”
This past spring, the Michigan legislature cut $300 million dollars in funding for school safety and mental health services. EdTrust-Midwest along with the Michigan Partnership for Equity and Opportunity are urging the Michigan legislature to restore critical funding for student mental health so that students can receive the services they need to achieve at their highest levels.
Read the full The 74 article here.
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