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The impact of school emotional climate on student psychopathology

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Abstract

Reports of differences among schools in emotional and social climate were related to changes in behavioral and emotional problems and alcohol use in students who remained in these schools over a 2-year interval. Four dimensions of school climate were examined. School conflict and social facilitation were shown to be related to increases in childhood psychopathology, whereas student autonomy was not. Effects of academic focus were even stronger than those of conflict, in the sense of being independently related to more syndromes. School climate effects were examinedfor conditionality on student characteristics and for synergism, It was concluded that intervention to alter the school climate may promote the emotional and behavioral well-being of children and adolescents.

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This research was supported by NIMH Grants MH36971 and MH30906. The authors wish to thank Robert Ouellette for his assistance.

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Kasen, S., Johnson, J. & Cohen, P. The impact of school emotional climate on student psychopathology. J Abnorm Child Psychol 18, 165–177 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910728

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910728

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