Plate Nº 85 · recorded October 10, 2026
Health & Medicine ResearchReported finding
Education's Mental Health Benefits Depend on a Country's Wealth
A study of over 120,000 people in 121 countries finds education strongly linked to better mental health only in low- and middle-income nations, not rich ones.
By Marcus Bennett3 min read655 words
In brief
- Researchers analyzed data from more than 120,000 people across 121 countries using the 2021 World Risk Poll.
- The study covered 42 high-income countries and 79 low- and middle-income countries.
- In low- and middle-income countries, secondary or postsecondary education significantly reduced the likelihood of serious mental health problems.
- In high-income countries, the education–mental health link was no longer statistically significant.
- The research was published in the Journal of Social Policy (2026), DOI: 10.1017/s0047279426101603.
More schooling is linked to better mental health in low- and middle-income countries, but that link disappears almost entirely in rich nations. That is the central finding of a study published in the Journal of Social Policy, based on survey data from more than 120,000 people across 121 countries.
The economists behind the research drew on the 2021 Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll, covering 42 high-income countries and 79 low- and middle-income ones. At first glance, the pooled data looked straightforward: people with more education reported better mental health overall.
What changed when the researchers split the data?
Once the team separated countries by income level, the picture shifted. The overall association turned out to be driven mainly by low- and middle-income countries. There, people with secondary or postsecondary education were significantly less likely to experience serious mental health problems than people with less schooling.
In high-income countries, mental health issues were spread more evenly across education levels. The statistical link between education and better mental health was no longer significant.
Why might education help in poorer countries but not richer ones?
The study tested one leading explanation: education protects mental health by improving access to essential resources. The researchers looked at four of them:
- financial security
- food security
- clean drinking water
- medical care
Their findings suggest that in low- and middle-income countries, education supports mental health largely because it helps people obtain these material and social resources. Schooling pays off psychologically when it opens doors to life's basics.
In high-income countries, by contrast, access to basic necessities depends less on educational attainment. Where food, water, medical care and income are available regardless of diplomas, education alone shows a weaker connection to mental health.
The researchers also point to pressures that can accompany higher education. These include academic strain, overeducation in the labor market, and mismatches between people's expectations and the jobs they actually find.
What does this mean for policy?
The study's core message is that education is not a mental health cure on its own. The findings highlight the importance of tackling the wider social and economic factors that shape mental wellbeing, 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," Lalley added.
Dr. Yousef Makhlouf, co-researcher and an associate professor in economics at NBS, said the 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," Makhlouf said. He also suggested that local data could identify communities with poor mental health and help target preventive support to the pressures those communities actually face.
How strong are the conclusions?
Some caution is warranted. The study is observational, so it identifies associations rather than proving cause and effect. It also relies on self-reported survey data from a single poll year, 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic may itself have shaped mental health patterns. The results describe average patterns across large groups of countries, not guarantees for individuals.
Still, the pattern is consistent across 121 countries: education tracks better mental health where basic resources are scarce, and loses that statistical grip where they are not. For policymakers weighing investments in schools against investments in living conditions, the study suggests the two should not be treated as substitutes.
via Medical Xpress (Source)
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