Infrastructure in classrooms and the attitude of teachers was found to have a big influence on the minds of children, according to U.S researchers.
Using a national sample of 10,700 children in the first-grade, researchers studied the impact of classroom environment on children's behavior, mood, learning and ability to form friendships. They also interviewed parents and teachers on these points.
Study leader Melissa A. Milkie of the University of Maryland, said in a statement, "Sociologists and other researchers spend a lot of time looking at work environments and how they are linked to the mental health of adults, but we pay less attention to the relationship between kids' well-being and their 'work' environments - namely their schools and more specifically their classrooms."
The study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, showed that children studying in a negative environment with inadequate infrastructure, or were taught by teachers who felt disrespected by their colleagues, could also be affected by the negative environment and suffer mental health issues as adults.
"If teachers are feeling stressed out because they aren't getting what they need from their colleagues, that stress may carry over to the kids," Milkie said.