The diminishing association between adolescent mental disorders and educational performance from 2006–2019

A rising prevalence of adolescent mental disorders in the Western world has been widely reported, raising concerns for adolescent development and well-being. Mental disorders are known to negatively impact educational performance. Yet it remains uncertain whether the relationship between mental disorders and educational outcomes has also changed over time and if the change is more pronounced among high compared to low performing students. The aims of this paper are to (1) describe the change over time in the prevalence of common mental disorders in adolescence; (2) determine whether the change in prevalence of common mental disorders differs between high and low performing students; and (3) assess whether the associations between mental health disorders and educational performance have changed over time.