Relationships Between Perceived School Climate and Adolescent Mental Health Across Genders

The current study explored the relationship between school climate perceptions and self-reported mental health among 415 high school students. Mental health was defined comprehensively via indicators of positive functioning (life satisfaction) and psychopathology (internalizing and externalizing problems). Regression analyses indicated that students' perceptions of six dimensions of school climate (sharing of resources, order and discipline, parent involvement, school building appearance, student interpersonal relations, and student-teacher relations) accounted for a total of 15-22 % of the variance in indicators of their mental health, above and beyond between-school differences in outcomes. Bivariate links emerged between positive perceptions of each school climate dimension and better mental health. Parent involvement was the most consistent unique predictor of mental health. Worse perceptions of the peer interpersonal relations, equal sharing of school resources, and physical appearance of one's school building uniquely predicted greater psychopathology (externalizing and internalizing problems, respectively), whereas teacher-student relations were particularly associated with wellness (among girls only). Across indicators, school climate was more highly associated with girls' mental health. Directions for future research and implications for educators are discussed.