An Examination of Chronic Absenteeism and Youth Mental Health in Georgia: Before, During, and After COVID-19

Abstract

Chronic absenteeism has steeply increased since COVID-19. Contemporaneously, there has been increased concern about youth mental health. Using administrative data from Georgia (n = 7,807), we use a school fixed effects model to examine the relationship between youth mental health and chronic absenteeism. In urban schools, we find that schools with a higher percentage of students experiencing mental health difficulties report lower chronic absenteeism after COVID-19 relative to the pre-pandemic years. Drawing on an asset-based framework, we interpret the findings as reflecting the efforts of educators in urban settings to address youth mental health and absenteeism challenges.