A Systematic Literature Review: The Impact Of Inclusive Schools On Mental Health

Abstract

Nowadays, it is common to find children with special needs who are educated in the same school as other children. There are already several inclusive schools that can accept early childhood children with special needs without separating them from their peers. However, the learning process in inclusive schools has had a significant impact on students' mental health. This study used a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify and analyze the positive and negative impacts of inclusive schools on students' mental health.The first step was to define the research question (RQ) and then search several types of sources published in popular journal databases from 2013-2025.As a result of the review of selected articles, there are positive impacts of inclusive schools on students' mental health, such as increasing self-confidence and independence, reducing stigma and social isolation, improving social skills and empathy, and promoting tolerance and acceptance. Meanwhile, there are also negative impacts of inclusive schools such as discomfort and feelings of inadequacy, adjustment difficulties, as well as disruptive behavior and classroom disruption.