School connectedness is the sense of being cared for, supported, and belonging, fostered by a caring and supportive educational environment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says it is commonly defined as the “belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as persons.”
School connectedness during adolescence has been linked to positive health outcomes in the form of reductions in 1) emotional distress, 2) symptoms of poor mental health, 3) suicidal ideation, 4) health risk behaviors (marijuana and prescription drug misuse for example) and 5) negative experiences (such as sexual violence victimization). These multiple protective effects have been found to last into adulthood.
Understanding the association between adolescents’ perceptions of school connectedness and their behaviors and experiences is important for identifying ways that schools might promote healthy behaviors, protect against risk, and facilitate healthy life trajectories.
Overall, school connectedness is associated with lower prevalence of every risk behavior and experience examined. Robust evidence has demonstrated that school communities can positively influence student mental health, including fostering emotional resilience and lessening emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. Longitudinal studies have also found causal associations between school connectedness in adolescence and emotional well-being in adulthood.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
