{
  "abstract": "Background. Pupils enrolled in Alternative Provision (AP) represent a highly vulnerable population, with heightened mental health need at risk of long-term educational disengagement. Examining AP enrolment in relation to mental health-related school support and hospital contacts may inform early intervention and prevention approaches to address unmet mental health need. Methods. We analysed population-level linked school and hospital administrative data for 1.7m pupils (born 2000-2002) who attended state schools in England. We examined differences by racial-ethnic group and gender in rates and timing of AP enrolment and recording patterns of mental health-related provision and hospital contacts among pupils with AP enrolment. Results. A majority (62.4%) of pupils with AP enrolment had recorded mental health need, highest among Mixed White-Black Caribbean pupils (74.0%). Among those in AP, 52.0% of girls with a mental health-related hospital contact had school provision, compared to 67.3% boys. For some racial-ethnic groups, schools appeared less likely to record need evident in hospital records; 17.5% boys and 36.2% girls from Mixed White-Asian backgrounds enrolled in AP had mental health-related hospital contact without school provision. Conclusion. Among pupils enrolled in AP, documented mental health need is high but unevenly recorded across systems, with inequalities by racial-ethnic group and gender.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute for Global Health, University College London, UK"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "S. Ni Chobhthaigh"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. Greenway-Bailey"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Musanu"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Cox"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Neave"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Mawi"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Buhari"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Green"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. A. Burgess"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Devakumar"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. A. Jay"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2nm02x3n54fyy.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536v1.full",
  "id": "2nm02x3n54fyy",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "public and global health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2nm02x3n54fyy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T00:22:41Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.08.26367536v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:public and global health",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Mental Health-related School Provision and Hospital Contacts among Pupils enrolled in Alternative Provision",
  "title_text": "Mental Health-related School Provision and Hospital Contacts among Pupils enrolled in Alternative Provision",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T00:22:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2nm02x3n54fyy",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}