Medication's effect on classified students' self-esteem and academic performance

The purpose of this study was to determine how medication affects self-esteem and academic performance in classified students. This study intended to focus on various disorders found in childhood to allow for an understanding of the effects of medication on self-esteem and academic performance in general. Specifically, it was hypothesized that children who receive medication for a disorder would have higher self-esteem and superior academic performance compared to children who do not receive medication. The self-concept scores from previously administered Beck Youth Inventories (BYI) and average academic grades were obtained from 50 students, 25 medicated and 25 not medicated, enrolled in a local school district. Results were analyzed using an independent samples t-test and a Mann-Whitney test, within subjects. The results from each test were compared to the standard BYI scores and average age appropriate academic grades to demonstrate the differences seen in special education students. Results indicated that, while a slight improvement was seen in the self-esteem scores in the medication group, a statistical difference was not found; however, a highly significant statistical difference (.000) was found for academic performance.