An APA study found that students who developed good relationships with their teachers had better long-term physical and mental health as adults. The study followed 20,000 students from 7th grade into early adulthood, examining relationships with peers and teachers as well as later health outcomes. Students who reported getting along with both peers and teachers were found to have better health measures like lower blood pressure and BMI in adulthood, even when accounting for family background.

1. Better Relationships with Teachers
Translates to Healthier Adults
Mark Chae PhD

2. Introduction
A researcher and former associate professor, Mark Chae, Ph.D. has spent most of
his career in various roles in the psychological field. In addition to his professional
work, Mark Chae, Ph.D. is also a member of the American Psychological
Association (APA), an organization that advocates and represents more than
121,000 researchers, students, educators, consultants, and clinicians.

3. Findings in an APA study released last fall (2020) reported that students who
developed good relationships with their teachers experienced positive long-term health
outcomes as adults. The research looked at a longitudinal study that examined the
relationships of 20,000 students (teens), including 3,400 pairs of siblings. The study
evaluated the participants for 13 years beginning in seventh grade and ending into
their early adulthood.

4. The experiment began with study administrators asking the students questions
regarding their relationships with students and teachers and how they feel their
teachers care about them. At the end of the study, participants were asked about
their physical and mental health and evaluated these responses against measures
such as blood pressure and body mass index.
The predictions made before the onset of the study matched the findings.
Students who reported getting along with both peers and teachers also reported
better health outcomes. When researchers isolated for family background, the
results showed a clear connection between positive teacher-student relationships
and better health outcomes in their early adulthood.