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Diversity in the classroom helps Latinx students, A&M research suggests

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COLLEGE STATION, TX — Aggie researchers say racial and ethnic diversity inside classrooms makes a big difference, not just with learning, but also student mental health.

A new survey looked at 14 Texas public schools, with 400 sixth graders in urban locations. The study found a higher percentage of white students increased mental health risks for Black and Latinx students.

Meanwhile, more diversity decreased mental health risks for some students.

"Increased diversity in the schools, which is an index that captures the full range of all racial-ethnic groups in the school, as well as their relative size in the school, so increasing diversity on that index in the school reduced mental health problems for some Latinx students ." shared Melissa Dupont-Reyes, Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Texas A&M.

Dupont-Reyes says mental health needs to be a bigger factor in academic and economic outcomes for students.

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