Does Living Apart from Parents or School Enrollment Matter to Adolescents’ Mental Health Risk?

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of the presence of parents and school enrollment on mental health among youths aged 15 years. The study employs data from a survey on mental health among 5,238 youths aged 15 who applied for an identification card for the first time at district offices of three provinces from the northern and central regions including Bangkok between March 2009 and April 2010. Findings show that youths who are attending school, whether their parents are present or absent from the household, are less likely to have mental health risks than those who are out of school. This implies that schooling is more important for adolescent mental health outcomes than the presence of parents. Hence, educational services need to enhance or convince youth and their families that they should stay in school as long as possible. Moreover, educational services need to find resources to support low-income students so that they are able to remain in school.