Almost half of young people report mental health problems

Teenaged boy sitting with his back to the camera - Poor mental health among young people aged 16 and 17 has increased by more than 25% since 2017, with those who identify as non-binary among the most affected, according to research by UCL and the Sutton Trust. The findings, published today, use data from the Covid Social Mobility & Opportunities (COSMO) study, the largest study of its kind exploring the impacts of the pandemic on young people. Led by the UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) and the Sutton Trust, the study tracks the mental health, wellbeing and educational outcomes of 12,800 young people across England who were in Year 11 in early 2021 - most of whom have recently started Year 13. It highlights that a significant proportion of young people are experiencing poor wellbeing, with 44% of young people scoring above the threshold for 'probable mental ill health', indicating generally high levels of psychological distress. This is up from 35% in 2017 and 23% in 2007, pointing to a steady decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people. COSMO Principal Investigator Dr Jake Anders (UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities) said: "The level of young people whose responses suggest concern with their mental health is shocking. And young people particularly affected by the events of the pandemic are among those with the highest levels of distress.