The Role of Mental Health in Shaping Educational and Economic Outcomes for Young People: Findings from Randomized Trials

Session 3: Adults

Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that mental health is linked to the ability of children, adolescents, and young adults to succeed in education and future employment. However, it remains less well established whether interventions that improve mental health lead to better educational, employment, and economic outcomes, partly due to challenges in identifying causal relationships. In this presentation, I argue that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of novel mental health interventions can help address this question. I focus on the results of a major RCT evaluating the impact of a digital mental health intervention among vulnerable young adults in Colombia. The findings show that while such interventions can improve mental health outcomes in this population, translating these improvements into gains in educational attainment and economic outcomes is more challenging than is often assumed. This presentation raises broader questions about the role of experimental research in mental health and invites reflection on common assumptions regarding the pathways linking mental health to education and economic outcomes.

Mauricio Avendano

Mauricio Avendano is a professor at the University of Lausanne (Unisanté), where he co-directs the Health Economics and Policy Unit and the Lausanne Centre for Health Economics, Behavior, and Policy. He is also an adjunct associate professor at Harvard University and a visiting professor at King’s College London.

His research focuses on how social and economic policies shape population health, with a particular emphasis on youth mental health and aging. His research examines how education, labor markets, social protection, and welfare policies influence mental health outcomes across the life course, and how these effects vary across countries. He also studies how mental health influences human capital accumulation and labor market outcomes later in life.

He applies quantitative methods, including natural experiments, longitudinal data, and randomized controlled trials, to identify the causal effects of policies on mental health and well-being. He has published over 160 papers in international journals. In 2024, he was elected an International Fellow of the British Academy.