Higher Education Linked to Poor Mental Health During Tough Economic Times

Too little education has proven to put some at a greater risk for certain mental health problems, yet a new study also suggests the inverse. It might actually be possible that too much education could have detrimental effects on mental health.

The study looked at information from more than 16,600 employed people ages 25 to 60 in 21 countries in Europe. Researchers measured participants' levels of depression based on their answers to various survey questions and presented their results on Aug. 10 at the American Sociological Association meeting, according to Live Science.

Study researcher Piet Bracke, a professor of sociology at Ghent University in Belgium, found that those with less status and prestige also tended to have an unbalanced support system and career, which could, in turn, put them at an increased risk for depression.

Previous studies have shown that those with lower education levels could be at a double risk of having severe and frequent depression compared to those with higher education. However, those risks vary greatly, especially depending on where the person is from or currently living.

Yet study results showed that those with higher degrees were more likely to experience mental health issues as well, especially in countries that did not provide adequate job placement based on high educational skill.

"If the economic returns of education decrease, it affects the mental health of all the well-educated," Bracke said, via Live Science

However, Bracke still emphasizes even at the end of the study that following a higher education is a better path regardless of economic circumstances. 

What do you think?