and early termination of education

Education is one of the most important domains in which mental disorders may have effects that extend across the life course. Most individuals who will have a disorder during their lifetime will have their first dis—order during childhood or adolescence, when they are still of school age (Kirn-Cohen et al. 2003, Kessler et al. 2007). The impairments associated with these disorders are likely to disrupt the ability of students to function in school settings, which demand a certain level of rule-following, effort, and focused attention (Farkas 2003). Students who do not perform well in school because of problems with discipline or academic achievement may be more likely to withdraw from schooling entirely or, in more extreme cases, may be expelled from school (Rumberger 2004). Early termination of schooling is associated with a wide range of limitations in adulthood that include diminished financial security, occupational achievement, self-esteem, marital opportunity, and other later-life opportunities (Featherman 1980, Koivusilta et al. 2001, Fronstin et al. 2005, Freudenberg 8c Ruglis 2007). At the societal level, the human capital lost from early termination of education can constrain economic development and impose higher health and social welfare costs (World Bank 2002).Recent reviews of research in the USA (Breslau 2010) and Europe (Suhrcke 8c de Paz Nieves 2011) suggest that among the health conditions that affect children and adolescents, mental health conditions have the largest population-level effects on educational attainment. Prior epidemiological studies examined associations between early-onset mental disorders and the …