Mental health benefits of education vary between rich and poor countries
Higher levels of education are associated with better mental health in low- and middle-income countries but offer no significant mental health advantage in high-income countries, according to a new study by Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University.
By Helen Breese | Published on 1 October 2026
Categories: Press office; Research;
Economists analysed data from more than 120,000 people across 121 countries – including 42 high-income countries and 79 low- and middle-income countries – using the 2021 Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll.
The research initially found that higher levels of education were associated with better mental health overall. However, when the results were examined by country income level, they revealed the association was significantly driven by low- and middle-income countries.
In these regions, people with secondary or post-secondary education were significantly less likely to experience serious mental health problems than those with lower levels of education.
By contrast, in high-income countries, mental health issues were more evenly distributed across education levels, and the association between education and better mental health was no longer statistically significant.
The study examined whether education may protect mental health by improving access to essential resources, including financial security, food security, clean drinking water and medical care.
Findings suggest that in low- and middle-income countries education may support better mental health because it helps people gain access to these material and social resources.
Where access to basic necessities is less dependent on educational attainment, as in high-income countries, education alone appears less strongly associated with mental health outcomes.
The researchers also point to potential pressures associated with higher levels of education, including academic pressure, overeducation in the labour market and mismatches between expectations and employment.
The findings highlight the importance of tackling the wider social and economic factors that influence mental health, rather than focusing solely on educational attainment or healthcare.
Co-author of the paper, Dr Christopher Lalley, lecturer in Economics at NBS, said: “Better mental health is not simply about better education. Our findings suggest that education is acting as a pathway to other protective factors, rather than being the direct cause of better mental health.
“Therefore, increasing educational attainment alone is unlikely to reduce mental health inequalities and policymakers need to focus more closely on the wider conditions in which people live and work.”
Co-researcher, Dr Yousef Makhlouf, Associate Professor in Economics at NBS, added: “Our findings are particularly relevant for local authorities because many of these factors sit beyond the healthcare system.
“Councils must treat mental-health prevention as a cross-cutting issue, bringing together public health with housing, employment and financial support, education and community services.
“Local data could also be used to identify communities experiencing poor mental health and to target preventative support according to the pressures those communities actually face.”
The study has been published in the Journal of Social Policy, access the paper online: Mapping the uneven impact of education on mental health: a cross-national analysis by income level
Notes for Editors
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About Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Business School (NBS) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a leader in experiential learning and personalisation of business, management and economics education and research - combining academic excellence with positive impact on people, business, and society. NBS has an unrivalled level of engagement with business, public, and voluntary organisations. With more than 8,500 students, NBS is also one of UK’s largest business schools.
NBS is part of the 1% of business schools worldwide to hold the Triple Crown of accreditation from EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB. It is also accredited by Small Business Charter, providing support and development for SMEs, and is a PRME Champion - held up as an exemplar and beacon by the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME).
In The Guardian University Guide 2026, all NBS subjects were ranked in the UK Top 20. Areas covering Accounting and Finance, Business and Management, Economics and Marketing and PR were all recognised for excellence in teaching, high student satisfaction, and strong graduate career prospects.
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK.
Students have voted us first in the UK for course quality, top five in the UK for employability and third best University in the UK (Uni Compare 2027). We are ranked in the top 25 universities in the country (The Guardian University Guide 2026).
We have over 35,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of over 5,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded GOLD in the national 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment.
NTU is a top 10 for sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport league table 2025) and was named as Sports University of the Year (Daily Mail University Guide 2025).
NTU is a holder of the University Mental Health Charter, recognising the commitment an institution has shown towards continuous improvement in the area of mental health and wellbeing.
NTU is the most environmentally sustainable university in the UK and third in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2025).