Researchers find negative classrooms affect student mental health
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 09, 2011 21:24 PM

It may be a good idea for educators to ensure that they leave their problems outside of the classroom, as a new study suggests that negative energy in the environment could potentially affect students' mental health.

According to a research published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, the environment of a classroom is much like the one of a workplace, and having a lot of negative energy can drastically affect a child's mental health, much like it would an adult in the workplace.

"Sociologists and other researchers spend a lot of time looking at work environments and how they are linked to the mental health of adults, but we pay less attention to the relationship between kids' well-being and their 'work' environments - namely their schools and more specifically their classrooms," said Melissa A. Milkie, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, who led the study. "Our research shows that the classroom environment really matters when it comes to children's mental health."

Some of these negative effects include teachers who do not feel respected and inadequate resources.