Mental health and wellbeing in the millennial generations

9 Nov 2017

Seminar

Young people’s mental health and wellbeing has become a prominent social issue in recent months, receiving high-profile attention from the royal family and political parties.

As part of the 2017 ESRC Festival of Social Science, this breakfast seminar presented the most recent findings on the state of mental health and wellbeing among two important generations of Britons: those born in 2000-01, and 1989-90.

About the seminar

Prof Emla Fitzsimons (UCL Institute of Education) and Dr Praveetha Patalay (University of Liverpool & UCL Institute of Education) presented findings from the Millennium Cohort Study on the prevalence of mental ill health from age 3 to 14, focusing on the crucial age 11-14 period, when puberty is underway and children move from primary to secondary school. The findings show the relationships between mental illness and other areas of life, including pubertal age, socioeconomic position, and family stability. Dr Patalay also explored the differences between mental illness and wellbeing at this critical age.

Dr Morag Henderson (UCL Institute of Education) presented findings from the new Next Steps age 25 data exploring mental ill health longitudinally and examining the correlates of adolescent mental ill health (at age 14 and 16). The question of how adolescent mental ill health is associated with outcomes at age 25, including general health, educational and labour market outcomes was also discussed.

Professor Louise Arseneault (ESRC Mental Health Leadership Fellow) led a discussion of the findings to conclude the seminar.