School Climate and Mental Health Among Hispanic ELL Students
In Februrary 2025, Abby Miller led a poster presentation at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists in Seattle, WA. The data for this project came from the Early Supports for Student Success Study, described here. Co-authors included Kelly Lojinger, Brandon K. Schultz, and Mark D. Weist.
Introduction
•English Language Learners (ELL) have higher levels of anxiety and depression, and poorer perceptions of school climate, when compared to their non-ELL peers (White et al., 2023; Yough et al., 2023).
•But few studies acknowledge the language heterogeneity among Hispanic students, comparing Hispanic and non-Hispanic students rather than ELL and non-ELL Hispanic students.
Current Study
In the present study, we examined the degree to which school climate moderates the relationship between ELL status and social-emotional functioning, including anxiety, depression, and negative affect (see Figure 1).
Materials and Methods
Participants were 146 third and fourth grade Hispanic students in 16 public elementary schools in North Carolina and South Carolina. Each student was identified as either ELL or non-ELL using school data.
All participants completed three surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and school climate . Each participants’ teacher completed a negative affect scale to offer an independent source of information. (Click the links for details on each instrument.)
Results
Anxiety
•ELL students reported higher anxiety than non-ELL students, controlling for perception of school climate (p = .039).
•School climate perception did not predict anxiety, controlling for ELL status (p = .052).
•No significant interaction: The ELL-anxiety relationship is not moderated by school climate perception (p = .134).
Depression
•No significant main effect between ELL status and depression, controlling for school climate perception (p = .756).
•School climate perception significantly predicted depression, controlling for ELL status: Higher school climate ratings meant lower depression (p = .002).
•No significant interaction: The ELL-depression relationship is not moderated by school climate perception (p = .369).
Negative Affect
•No significant main effect between ELL status and negative affect, controlling for school climate perception (p = .624).Â
•No significant main effect between school climate perception and negative affect, controlling for ELL status (p = .707).
•No significant interaction: The ELL-negative affect relationship is not moderated by school climate perception (p = .551).
Discussion
This study explored the degree to which school climate perception moderated the relationship between ELL status and social-emotional outcomes among Hispanic elementary students. ELL students reported higher anxiety than their non-ELL peers, but positive school climate was associated with reduced anxiety and depression for all students, regardless of ELL status. The findings for negative affect were inconclusive, likely because teachers have difficulty detecting internalizing concerns.
Our findings underscore the protective role of school climate, while also highlighting a need for targeted anxiety interventions, for ELL students (e.g., social connection opportunities). Efforts to enhance school climate might focus on inclusivity, cultural competency training, and peer-support programs. Linguistically and culturally appropriate mental health services would likely be beneficial, especially when paired with staff training and universal screening for anxiety and depression.
Limitations of the present study include the focus on a specific age group and region, cross-sectional design, and potential cultural barriers in assessments. Future research might explore longitudinal relationships, acculturation, and family and community influences. This study highlights the universal value of positive school climate and the need for targeted mental health support for ELL students.
References
White, R.S., Schneider, J., & Mavrogordato, M. (2023). bELonging: Do students classified as English learners feel included? AERA Open, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584231179171
Yough, M., Slaten, C.D., Sankofa, N., Li, J., & Anderman, E.M. (2023). English language learner perceptions of school climate and teacher–student relationships: Role of acculturation and implications for achievement. Learning Environments Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-023-09469-7
Handout:
ps://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-023-09469-7
