Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: smart on 12/02/2018 15:39:28
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Do people with low education have higher risks of being affected by mental disorders?
What do you think?
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Well... these are complex questions.
In places like the US, I would guess that mental disorders are more common among the least educated (if you look at 10,000 25-year old US citizens who didn't finish high school, and 10,000 25-year old US citizens who have masters degrees, there will probably be more people in the first category with mental disorders than people in the second with mental disorders). But this could be entirely due to the fact that most people in the US finish high school, so those who did not were probably prevented from doing so for some reason. This reason could be a mental disorder itself (those with a mental disorder that severely interferes with learning or social interaction may not be able to complete high school), or another factor that also increases the risk of mental disorders later (like having a parent with a heritable mental disorder, or suffering a major trauma which leads to anxiety and/or depression, etc.)
On the other hand, I think there might also be an increased rate of mental disorders among the most educated as well. Some mental disorders are associated with excellent academic performance (portions of the autism spectrum, OCD, sociopathy, bipolar disorder). And many high-level education systems themselves, or the jobs taken by PhDs, MDs and JDs etc. can cause mental disorders through constant high-stress situations, and/or poor sleep/exercise/diet. In my time as a doctoral student, I saw many of my colleagues succumb to anxiety or depression or sleep deprivation. I myself met regularly with a psychologist for the better part of a year due to research and advisor related stress that was causing insomnia, depression, and even facial tics (which have thankfully remained largely dormant since my situation changed).
There may well also be some causative benefit to mental health from having certain types of education. Improved metacognition, logical thinking, and problem-solving skills might help people avoid some of the pitfalls associated with mental disorders, and there is some evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy can help those suffering from some metal disorders. But there are also plenty of mental disorders that are beyond just "willing yourself better" or "understanding how to avoid pitfalls." For various biological, chemical, physical, however you want to think about it, reasons, sometimes drugs, surgery, or other measures are needed for treatment.
All that said, I myself am not an expert, and even the experts still have much to learn.
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Observational studies of medical treatments often correct for level of education, because more educated people are generally healthier.
This may be cause or effect:
- A person who is always sick won't do well in their education
- A person who is more educated may have a wider awareness of health issues, be better able to look up information on medical conditions, more likely to act on that information, and perhaps have a higher income that assists them to seek professional treatment.
Many of these same confounding factors apply to studies of mental health.
That is why a randomised, double-blinded study is the gold standard for medical research - there are just too many confounding factors.
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I think it is relevant idea
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as always, a term such as "mental health" is vague, and subject to the analysis of the observer.
i have known clinical psycologists, who told me they went into the field due to their personal problems.
i suspect that higher education makes one more aware of mental health issues, but does not influence mental health.
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So far, nobody seems to have mentioned wealth or money.
Did I miss it?
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There is little doubt that a high level of vocational education can lead to a satisfying career, money, stability, control, and all the other things that promote mental health.
Interestingly, the stress of running a huge engineering project, practising neurosurgery, or captaining a ship or plane, seems not to be harmful because top professionals are in charge. The people who suffer from stress are whose who cannot control their deadlines or select their inputs - generally, those in any organisation with the least or least relevant qualifications.
A nice example was seen on a recent TV vox pop. A young carpenter, who had been trained by his dad, was running a small building firm, making lots of money, and thoroughly enjoying the buzz of business. A woman complained that, having an upper second degree in English literature she could only get stressful, low-paid employment as a primary school classroom assistant. The carpenter said "what did you expect to do with a degree in English?"
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"The carpenter said "what did you expect to do with a degree in English?""
I was once seriously flamed by a group of educators who were complaining about not being paid enough for teaching, when I asked the same question. (in another forum...I don't push my luck here...i'm running out of forums that will accept me)
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Anyone who completes university, has been pressured and tested, the chaff seperated from the wheat, and now they have higher money to use.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/08/11/one-in-four-university-students-suffer-from-mental-health-proble/
The question is incorrect really as it can read as "are the percent that have encountered no problems encountered less problems than everyone else combined"