From Rank to Label: How Early Academic Rank Shapes Educational Diagnoses and Mental Health Outcomes

Larivière, Jérôme (2025): From Rank to Label: How Early Academic Rank Shapes Educational Diagnoses and Mental Health Outcomes.

Abstract

This study uses rich Canadian census and administrative data to examine the causal ef- fects of early academic ranking on educational diagnoses and long-term mental well-being. Leveraging within-classroom variation among students with similar abilities, I find that mov- ing from the 0–5th to the 10–15th percentile reduces learning disability diagnoses by 34% and mental health conditions by 16%. Conversely, shifting from the 85–90th to the 95–100th percentile increases gifted diagnoses by 27%, showing that teacher perceptions and behaviors are influenced by relative performance. Similar rank variation also lower adult mental health challenges by 12% and boost learning-related self-esteem by 21%.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Academic Rank; Educational Diagnosis; Rank Effect; Teacher Bias
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I24 - Education and Inequality; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J24 - Human Capital ; Skills ; Occupational Choice ; Labor Productivity

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