Gender differences in indirect associations between mental health symptoms and academic performance: the role of perceived school climate in rural Chinese boarding high schools

Adolescents in rural Chinese boarding schools spend most of their time on campus, making perceived school climate (PSC) a central context for learning and well-being. However, evidence remains limited on whether PSC is cross-sectionally associated with both mental health symptoms (MHS) and academic performance (AP), and whether these associations differ by gender in boarding settings. Guided by ecological systems theory, this cross-sectional study used multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) with 322 students from four rural boarding high schools to examine associations among MHS, PSC, and AP. MHS were assessed with the Chinese-adapted DASS-21 (depression, anxiety, stress); PSC with an adapted EDSCLS (relationships, safety, engagement); and AP with a composite of standardized exam scores and teacher ratings. After establishing measurement invariance across gender, we specified hypothesized associational paths and tested whether the indirect association varied by gender. Results indicate higher MHS related to less favorable PSC, and less favorable PSC related to lower AP, yielding a negative indirect association for both girls and boys; its magnitude did not differ reliably by gender. Sensitivity analyses produced similar overall fit. Given the cross-sectional design, findings are interpreted as associations, underscoring the need for longitudinal and intervention studies.