Mental Health and Academic Outcomes: Evidence from Honors College Students

Abstract: This paper explores the relationship between mental health and post-secondary student outcomes. To do this, we rely on a unique dataset with information on honors students’ academic performance and their mental health. Results suggest that reporting a mental health event during college has a large, negative effect on cumulative college grade point average and the probability a student is in good academic standing. Additionally, the effect size is larger for both outcomes for students who began school after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Keywords: Mental Health, Education, COVID-1