Children’s wellbeing declines when they go to secondary school

MOST young people in the UK experience a sharp decline in their wellbeing during their first years at secondary school, regardless of their circumstances or background, a study has suggested.

Researchers from Cambridge University and Manchester University analysed the wellbeing and selfesteem of more than 11,000 young people from across the UK, using data collected when they were 11, and again when they were 14.

The teenagers’ overall “subjective wellbeing”, defined as their satisfaction with different aspects of life, such as friends, school and family, dropped significantly during the intervening years.

It is widely accepted that young people’s wellbeing and mental health are influenced by factors such as economic circumstances and family life.

The research shows that, notwithstanding this, wellbeing tends to fall steeply and across the board during early adolescence.

That decline is probably linked to the transition to secondary school at age 11, according to the study’s authors.

Ioannis Katsantonis, a doctoral researcher at Cambridge’s Faculty of Education who led the study said: “Even though this was a large, diverse group of adolescents, we saw a consistent fall in well-being.

“One of the most striking aspects was the clear association with changes at school.

“It suggests we urgently need to do more to support students’ wellbeing at secondary schools across the UK.”

The study identified the particular aspects of wellbeing which changed in early adolescence were typically related to school and peer relationships, suggesting a close connection with shifts in these young people’s academic and social lives.

In addition, students with higher self-esteem at age 11 experienced a less significant drop in wellbeing at age 14.

This indicates that structured efforts to strengthen adolescents’ self-esteem, particularly during the first years of secondary school, could mitigate the likely downturn in well-being and life satisfaction.

The researchers used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, which involves a nationally representative sample of people born between 2000 and 2002, and incorporates standard questionnaires about well-being and self-esteem.

They then calculated a wellbeing “score” for each student.