TL;DR
A new national study estimates that 25% of Year 8 pupils in England are likely to have a mental health condition, while a further 14% show possible difficulties. Rates were higher among girls and pupils eligible for free school meals; the findings are an early snapshot from a study that will follow nearly 8,000 pupils over five years.
A national study tracking young people through secondary school estimates that one in four Year 8 pupils in England is likely to have a mental health condition, with a further 14% showing possible difficulties. The findings are an early snapshot from the Growing Up in the 2020s study, which is following nearly 8,000 pupils to examine their wellbeing and experiences over time.
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The study’s first results classify 25% of Year 8 pupils as having probable mental health issues, while 61% were considered unlikely to have any. These categories describe the study’s assessment of probable or possible difficulties; the figures do not mean that every pupil in those groups has received a clinical diagnosis.
Rates differed between groups. Researchers identified probable mental health issues in 28% of girls and 23% of boys. Among pupils eligible for free school meals, the figure was 36%, compared with 20% among those not eligible. The results also describe differences in other aspects of school life and wellbeing, including belonging, enrichment activities, bullying and physical health.
For example, 54% of pupils receiving special educational needs provision said they felt they belonged at school, compared with 66% of pupils without that provision. Among pupils eligible for free school meals, 57% reported feeling that they belonged, against 66% of those not eligible. The study also found positive responses: 94% felt neutral or happy about life overall, 95% about their friendships, and 98% about their family relationships.
Where Pupils Face Greater Difficulties
The findings point to uneven experiences at the start of secondary school, rather than a single picture shared by all pupils. The higher estimate among children eligible for free school meals, alongside reported differences in school belonging and bullying, gives education and child mental health services information about where difficulties may be concentrated.
Researchers say the results reinforce the case for prevention and early support. The study does not test a particular intervention or establish why the differences exist, but its repeated follow-up may help identify how mental health and school experiences change as pupils grow older. The figures also sit alongside positive reports of friendships, family relationships and resilience, including 71% of pupils saying they keep trying when something is difficult.
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A Five-Year Study of Secondary Pupils
Growing Up in the 2020s is led by Anna Freud, commissioned by the Department for Education, and conducted in partnership with UCL’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies and Ipsos. It is following nearly 8,000 young people attending state secondary schools in England for five years, gathering information on their wellbeing, education and wider experiences.
The first findings concern pupils in Year 8, generally aged 12 or 13. They offer a point-in-time account, not a complete measure of how mental health changes through adolescence. The project is designed to revisit participants as they progress through secondary school, allowing researchers to compare results over time.
The initial results also included signs that many pupils were adjusting to secondary school: 86% said they had settled in quite well or very well, and 90% reported getting at least eight hours of sleep on a typical weekday. Those figures provide useful context, but they do not cancel out the reported mental health difficulties or differences between groups.
“Mental health problems in this age group are very high, underscoring the importance of prevention and early support for reducing levels of distress.”
— Professor Jess Deighton
What the First Results Cannot Show
The published findings are an early snapshot, and the study will need to follow pupils over time to show whether reported difficulties persist, change or vary as participants get older. The supplied report does not state the precise assessment method used to classify probable and possible mental health issues, or provide detailed information on response rates and uncertainty ranges.
The figures should not be read as a count of confirmed diagnoses. The report also identifies differences by sex, free-school-meal eligibility and special educational needs provision, but does not establish that any one factor caused those differences. Further detail on the role of ethnicity, attainment and family income or education was not included in the supplied findings.
Following Pupils Through School
Researchers plan to continue tracking the participants as they move through secondary school, examining changes in mental health, relationships, education and wider experiences. Later results can show whether the patterns in this first Year 8 snapshot remain, widen or narrow over time.
The first release does not set out a specific date for the next findings. Further study updates and detail on the measures used would help readers understand how the estimates are produced and how they compare across later years.
Key Questions
What did the study find?
It estimated that 25% of Year 8 pupils in England were likely to have a mental health condition, with a further 14% showing possible difficulties. Researchers considered 61% unlikely to have a mental health issue.
Does the 25% figure mean one in four pupils has a diagnosis?
No. The report describes probable mental health issues based on the study’s assessment. It does not say that each pupil in the group has received a clinical diagnosis.
Which groups had higher rates in the findings?
Probable mental health issues were reported for 28% of girls and 23% of boys. The estimate was 36% among pupils eligible for free school meals and 20% among those not eligible.
Who is conducting the study?
The study is led by Anna Freud, commissioned by the Department for Education and run with UCL’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies and Ipsos. It follows nearly 8,000 pupils in state secondary schools in England.
Will there be more findings?
Yes. The five-year project will continue following participants through secondary school and examine how their wellbeing, education and experiences change. The supplied report does not give a date for the next release.
Source: rss
