Impact of School-Based Health Center Use on Academic Outcomes

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 251 - 257
• Main Authors: Walker, Sarah Cusworth, Ph.D, Kerns, Suzanne E.U., Ph.D, Lyon, Aaron R., Ph.D, Bruns, Eric J., Ph.D, Cosgrove, T.J., M.S.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-03-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Academic; Adolescent; Attendance; Biological and medical sciences; Discipline; Educational Measurement; Educational psychology; Falls; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GPA; Health; High risk; High schools; Humans; Longitudinal; Male; Medical; Medical sciences; Mental health; Mentally ill people; Organization of mental health. Health systems; Pediatrics; Propensity Score; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; School based; School Health Services - utilization; School-Based Health Center (SBHC); Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Students; Washington; Youth; United States; North America; America; Washington; Attendance; High risk; Longitudinal; Propensity score; School-Based Health Center (SBHC); Mental health; Youth; GPA; Medical; Academic; Discipline; Human; Grammar school; Academic achievement; Health service; School environment; Health center; Follow up study; Adolescent; Public health
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.07.002

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the effects of School-Based Health Center (SBHC) use on academic outcomes for high school students, using a well-controlled, longitudinal model, and (2) to examine whether SBHC medical and mental health service use differentially impacts academic outcomes. Methods Analyses used a latent variable growth curve modeling approach to examine longitudinal outcomes over five school semesters for ninth grade SBHC users and nonusers from Fall 2005 to Fall 2007 (n = 2,306). Propensity score analysis was used to control for self-selection factors in the SBHC user and nonuser groups. Results Results indicated a significant increase in attendance for SBHC medical users compared to nonusers. Grade point average increases over time were observed for mental health users compared to nonusers. Discipline incidents were not found to be associated with SBHC use. Conclusions SBHC use was associated with academic improvements over time for a high-risk group of users. The moderating effect of type of use (medical and mental health) reinforces the importance of looking at subgroups when determining the impact of SBHC use on outcomes.