Mental health benefits of education vary between rich and poor countries

Economists analyzed data from more than 120,000 people across 121 countries—including 42 high-income countries and 79 low- and middle-income countries—using the 2021 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll.

The research initially found that higher levels of education were associated with better mental health overall. However, when the results were examined by country income level, they revealed that the association was significantly driven by low- and middle-income countries. The research is published in the Journal of Social Policy.

In these regions, people with secondary or postsecondary education were significantly less likely to experience serious mental health problems than those with lower levels of education.

By contrast, in high-income countries, mental health issues were more evenly distributed across education levels, and the association between education and better mental health was no longer statistically significant.

The study examined whether education may protect mental health by improving access to essential resources, including financial security, food security, clean drinking water and medical care.

Findings suggest that in low- and middle-income countries, education may support better mental health because it helps people gain access to these material and social resources.

Where access to basic necessities is less dependent on educational attainment, as in high-income countries, education alone appears less strongly associated with mental health outcomes.

The researchers also point to potential pressures associated with higher levels of education, including academic pressure, overeducation in the labor market and mismatches between expectations and employment.

The findings highlight the importance of tackling the wider social and economic factors that influence mental health, rather than focusing solely on educational attainment or health care.

Dr. Christopher Lalley, co-author of the paper and a lecturer in economics at NBS, said, “Better mental health is not simply about better education. Our findings suggest that education is acting as a pathway to other protective factors, rather than being the direct cause of better mental health.

“Therefore, increasing educational attainment alone is unlikely to reduce mental health inequalities, and policymakers need to focus more closely on the wider conditions in which people live and work.”

Dr. Yousef Makhlouf, co-researcher and an associate professor in economics at NBS, added, “Our findings are particularly relevant for local governments because many of these factors sit beyond the health care system.

“Local governments must treat mental health prevention as a cross-cutting issue, bringing together public health with housing, employment and financial support, education and community services.

“Local data could also be used to identify communities experiencing poor mental health and to target preventive support according to the pressures those communities actually face.”

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