The European Union has recognized the close relationship between mental health, well-being, and education, encouraging studies and whole school interventions that work in the interrelationship between mental health and school, especially in aspects related to Early School Leaving (ESL). Literature shows that there are research gaps in this regard, but there are some inklings to think that innovative teaching methods can improve both adolescent´s mental health and reduce the rates of ESL. The main objective of this article was to find out how the use of game-based teaching techniques affects the well-being of students at risk of ESL. The life story of one young student that has left school early has been studied, focusing on the impact that gamification had in his scholar trajectory and well-being. Data analysis was carried using the constructivist version of the grounded theory. Results showed a certain degree of interrelation between all three aspects. Pointing that a period of gamification can have a positive effect in school engagement as a result of better levels of wellbeing, but also, that if this methodology is not maintained or accompanied it can cause a rebound effect acting as a risk factor to ESL.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between Early Leaving Education and Training and mental health perceived by young Spanish school leavers, as well as develop mid-range theories to better understand this relationship. The study uses a grounded theory approach; specifically, Charmaz’s constructivist approach and its informed version have guided the study. Through qualitative interviews with individuals who had left school prematurely, the results of this study showed a bidirectional relationship between ELET and mental health, where the detriment in the mental health of young people who leave school early should be understood as both a cause and an effect of the process of ELET. In addition, the findings suggest that certain socio-economic and educational factors, such as bullying, academic stress, self-responsibilization of failure, and labels such as “NEET” can contribute to a decrease in mental health. Overall, this study has provided new insights into the ELET-mental health relationship, contributing to the development of mid-range theories that can inform future research and interventions to minimize these problems.