MENTAL-HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF NOT GRADUATING FROM HIGH-SCHOOL

Using data from a panel (N = 4,141) tested in the seventh grade and ag ain as young adults as input to the LISREL VII program, we estimated a theoretically informed model specifying effects of failure to finish high school on the latent construct psychological functioning during y oung adulthood, controlling for the effects of psychological functioni ng in the seventh grade, gender, father's education, and race. The res ults suggest a significant negative effect of not graduating on psycho logical functioning. This observed adverse effect of dropping out on p sychological functioning could not be accounted for solely by deprivat ion of a college education because we observed the same effect when co nsidering only subjects who did not go on to college (n = 1,675).