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Evaluating the Impact of School-Based Health and Behavioral Health Services on Chronic Absenteeism in Los Angeles

Principal Investigator

Rebecca Dudovitz – UCLA

Project Description

This study examines the relationship between school-based health services, mental health supports, and student attendance outcomes in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Using a retrospective quasi-experimental design and data from the Data xChange system—which links student attendance, achievement, and health records—the study will analyze patterns of mental health diagnoses and service utilization among students in kindergarten through ninth grade. The research will assess whether access to school-based health centers (SBHCs) and school-based behavioral health (SBBH) services is associated with improved attendance trajectories for chronically absent students, including potential dose-response effects based on level of service utilization. The study will leverage a large longitudinal dataset of approximately 450,000 students annually and apply methods such as propensity weighting, regression modeling, and latent class growth analysis to examine both prevalence trends and causal relationships.

Research Questions

  • What is the prevalence and timing of key mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, ADHD) related to absenteeism?
  • To what extent is the use of school-based health and behavioral health services associated with improved attendance among chronically absent students?
  • Is there a dose-response relationship between service utilization and improvements in attendance?

Status

In Progress

Study Type

QED

Grantee

The L.A. Trust

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

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Young boy sits in desk at school

Courtesy of TalkingPoints

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