Educational Attainment and Mental Health: Correlations Through Data
Mental health is an important topic that has recently been growing in global awareness. Mental health includes someone’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It can affect their daily living, relationships, and physical health immensely. In light of this awareness, prompts an exploration between mental health and education, seeing how one’s educational background can significantly shape their mental well-being. As we explore this relationship through data, it is evident that mental health and education are linked. In our focused analysis, we aim to narrow down our investigation to examine the correlation between the percentages of high school graduates and college graduates in each state of the United States utilizing the FIPS code as a unique identifier. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between these educational levels and self-reported poor mental health days. Then, we perform a comprehensive exploration to see if patterns emerge when we dive into the relationship of a related variable of frequent mental distress.
In this analysis, we need to consider a correlation coefficient above 0.2 or below -0.2. These numbers are indicative of a significant relationship between the percentages of high school or college graduates and the prevalence of poor mental health days. While this threshold is a relatively modest effect size, it remains significant in identifying potential trends and patterns. The analysis, showed a positive correlation of around 0.286, indicating that, on average, states with higher percentages of high school graduates tended to have an elevated prevalence of reported poor mental health days. The examination of the correlation between the percentages of college graduates and poor mental health days showcased a negative correlation of around -0.286, suggesting an association wherein states with higher percentages of college graduates exhibited a decrease in reported poor mental health days. In the comprehensive exploration to see if patterns emerge with a related variable of frequent mental distress, we observed notably stronger correlation values. For the association between the percentage of high school graduates and frequent mental distress, the correlation coefficient was higher at 0.34, indicating a moderately positive relationship. Similarly, the correlation between the percentage of college graduates and frequent mental distress stood at around -0.404, showing a moderately negative relationship. These provide evidence of the relationship between educational attainment and mental health.
In the top two graphs showing the relationship percent of high school graduates and poor mental health days/mental distress, the positive slope of the scatter plot and the upward trajectory of the linear trend-line are visually apparent. As the percentage of high school graduates increases along the y-axis, there is a noticeable upward trend in poor mental health days and mental distress along the x-axis. In contrast, the bottom two graphs that explore the connection between the percentage of college graduates and poor mental health days/mental distress present a negative slope. This visually confirms that higher percentages of college graduates tend to experience lower levels of poor mental health, while conversely, states with higher percentages of high school graduates experience higher levels of poor mental health.
Next, we must explore the underlying reasons behind this connection and understand why these relationships exist. Starting, college graduates tend to have more job security due to their education levels and attainment of a degree. As highlighted by The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, statistics reveal that college graduates are “…half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school degree.” (APLU) Moreover, on average, college graduates accumulate an additional $1.2 million in lifetime earnings. Financial stability can positively boost the mental well-being of college graduates. In contrast, the uncertainty faced by high school graduates in the job market and less financial stability may contribute to stress and anxiety. Next, college graduates often have broader and more diverse social networks, providing increased emotional support. According to a study done by the American Surgery Center, “Today, nearly half (47 percent) of college-educated Americans have at least five close friends, compared to about one-third (34 percent) of those without a degree.” (Cox et al.) This support system is known to be beneficial for promoting positive mental health and being protective against challenges one may have. Without it, you might find it harder to cope with stress and difficulties, leading to a decrease in mental health.
In conclusion, our analysis indicates a link between education levels and mental health. Higher percentages of high school graduates correlate with increased poor mental health, while college graduates have lower poor mental health days. This relationship can be due to many different factors notably one’s financial stability and social network.
Works Cited
APLU. “How does a college degree improve graduates’ employment and earnings potential?” APLU, https://www.aplu.org/our-work/4-policy-and-advocacy/publicuvalues/employment-earnings/. Accessed 6 December 2023.
Cox, Daniel A., et al. “The College Connection: The Education Divide in American Social and Community Life.” The Survey Center on American Life, 13 December 2021, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-college-connection-the-education-divide-in-american-social-and-community-life/. Accessed 6 December 2023.
SAMHSA. “What is Mental Health?” SAMHSA, 24 April 2023, https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health. Accessed 6 December 2023.
White, Marney A. “Mental health: Definition, common disorders, early signs, and more.” Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/154543. Accessed 6 December 2023.
