School disengagement (SD) rates were higher during the pandemic years, especially for children with mental health conditions (MHCs), according to a study published online Oct. 15 in Pediatrics.
Fiorella B. Castillo, M.D., from The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in Bronx, New York, and colleagues examined temporal changes in SD and SD rates among children with MHCs in a representative sample of U.S. children aged 6 to 17 years from 2018 to 2022. Cross-sectional National Survey of Children’s Health data were included from 136,576 participants from 2018 and 2019 (prepandemic), 2020 (lockdown), and 2021 and 2022 (intrapandemic).
The researchers found that the rates of SD were higher during pandemic years versus 2018, especially for children with MHCs. Higher odds of SD were seen in 2020, 2021, and 2022 versus 2018 (adjusted odds ratios, 1.30, 1.27, and 1.28, respectively); there were no differences between 2018 and 2019. Higher SD odds were seen in children with MHCs, overall health status that was very good or lower, food insecurity, a total of four or more lifetime moves, a special education plan, and incidence of repeating a grade.
“The sustained rise in SD rates, especially among children with MHCs, presents a key public health concern with clinical and policy implications,” the authors write.
More information:
Fiorella B. Castillo et al, School Disengagement Among Children With Mental Health Conditions Pre- and Intra-COVID-19 Pandemic, Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2024-068387
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School disengagement increased during pandemic years (2025, October 21)
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