American Academy of Pediatrics: Adolescence is a critical period of development, and both physical and mental health problems can disrupt teens’ acquisition of skills and transition into the workforce. In the July 2015 review article, “Adolescent Health and Adult Education and Employment: A Systematic Review,” (published online June 22), authors reviewed 27 studies examining the education and employment outcomes of adolescents experiencing poor mental and physical health. Across all studies, the majority of findings (61 out of 70) identified poorer education and employment in adolescents with health problems compared to healthy teens. Many studies looked at mental health conditions, but comparatively few investigated the long-term outcomes of physical health conditions. Mental and physical health in adolescence contributes to school completion and continuing education, and employment. The results suggest that maintaining and improving health among students should be part of the core business of schools as good health makes a substantial contribution to academic achievement and subsequent successful employment.
