About
The Millennium Cohort Study Age 17 Sweep took place at a period of transition to adulthood, marking a pivotal stage in cohort members’ development. By age 17, many of the cohort members have taken important decisions in relation to schooling, further education, training, work, and living at home. These initial findings provide essential evidence for research on topics such as mental health, obesity, substance use and antisocial behaviour.
Principal Investigator
Emla FitzsimonsProject dates
2020–21Funder
Economic and Social Research Council and a consortium of government departments.
On this page:
Briefing papers
Mental ill health in the UK at age 17 – Prevalence of and inequalities in psychological distress, self-harm and attempted suicide
This report focuses on mental ill-health at age 17, using data collected from participants in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) in 2018-19. It presents prevalence of psychological distress, self-harm and attempted suicide. It describes important mental health inequalities across the following key socio-demographic characteristics: sex, ethnicity, sexuality and socioeconomic position. Combined with data collected from a subset of participants during the COVID-19 national lockdown in May 2020, when they were aged 19, the report also presents evidence on changes in psychological distress from ages 17 to 19.
Briefing papers
Obesity prevalence and its inequality from childhood to adolescence – Initial findings from the Millennium Cohort Study Age 17 Survey
This report focuses on excess weight at age 17 in the Millennium Cohort Study, presenting prevalence of obesity, overweight, normal weight and underweight. Examining also previous measures collected from the cohort since age 3, it highlights stark inequalities by family socioeconomic circumstances. It underlines the strong persistence of excess weight throughout childhood and adolescence, with one third of a whole generation either overweight or obese as they enter their prime adult years.
Briefing papers
Substance use and antisocial behaviour in adolescence – Evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study at age 17
This report shows overall prevalences of engagement in risky behaviours, alongside breakdowns by sex, by parental educational level, and by UK country. In terms of sample characteristics, 50% were females, 36% had parents with a university degree or above, 13% were of ethnic minority origin, and the UK nations were represented by England (84%), Wales (5%), Scotland (8%) and Northern Ireland (3%). Analyses are adjusted for survey design and attrition, so figures are nationally representative estimates of risky behaviours among young people born in the UK around the turn of the millennium.
Psychological distress, self-harm and attempted suicide in UK 17-year olds: prevalence and sociodemographic inequalities
The British Journal of Psychiatry
Professor of Economics and CLS Director
Emla is Professor of Economics and CLS Director. Her research is focused on the development of human capital throughout the life course, and in particular how experiences and circumstances in early life and childhood affect causally the acquisition of skills later on.
Contact Emla Fitzsimons at E.Fitzsimons@ucl.ac.uk
David Bann
Associate Professor in Population Health, Strategic lead of social science genetics
Praveetha Patalay
Professor of Population Health and Wellbeing
Aase Villadsen
Research Fellow
Centre for Longitudinal Studies
UCL Social Research Institute
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Email: clsdata@ucl.ac.uk
