Mental Health, Cognition and Academic Performance in the 1st Year of Elementary Education

Abstract The study investigated 1) relationships and explanatory models of mental health indicators from cognitive abilities and 2) relationships between mental health indicators and academic performance one year later. Participants were 86 children, students of the 1st year of Elementary Education, evaluated in intelligence, inhibitory control (IC) and language. Parents and teachers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). One year later, the children were re-evaluated in word recognition (WR) and arithmetic. The IC measures were related and could explain up to 21.9% of the variance in the SDQ indices completed by parents and teachers. The SDQ indices completed by teachers were related to WR and arithmetic performances, predicting up to 16.3% of the variance in school performance measures the following year. There was no IC mediation effect on the models generated. The findings suggest an interaction between specific cognitive skills, mental health indicators and academic performance.