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Publication, Part of

Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022 - wave 3 follow up to the 2017 survey

Official statistics, Survey

Part 5: Social and economic context

This section of the report presents findings on the household and wider circumstances of children and young people, their experiences on social media, and their feelings about the area where they live.  


Household circumstances

Definition

The parents of children aged 7 to 16 years were asked about their household’s circumstances over the past year (since 1st April 2021). The questions asked about negative changes, such as a reduction in household income in the past year, as well as about adverse events, such as not being able to buy enough food or having to use a food bank. 

Young people aged 17 to 24 years were asked a similar but not identical set of questions about circumstances in their own household in the past year. The questions for young people included both neutral or positive changes and included life events which this age group might experience, such as having a baby or moving in with a partner. 

Comparisons are presented for children aged 7 to 16 years, and young people aged 17 to 22 years (to allow comparisons with 2020, when 23 or 24 year olds were not included). Estimates for 2020 and 2021 are available in the Excel data tables, but caution should be taken when comparing results over time due to different time periods being covered by each survey. 

Household circumstances by mental health of child

  • Children with a probable mental disorder were more likely than those unlikely to have a mental disorder to live in households that could not afford to keep the house warm enough (13.6% compared to 6.0%) or that had not been able to buy enough food, or had to use a food bank (11.8% compared to 4.4%).

Overall, 36.9% of children aged 7 to 16 years lived in a household that had experienced at least 1 of the negative changes or events in the past year. 

The most commonly reported circumstance was a reduction in household income, experienced by the families of 1 in 5 children (19.9%). Just over 1 in 8 children lived in a household where a parent or someone close to them had been seriously ill (13.4%). About 1 in 10 lived in a household that had fallen behind with rent, bills or mortgage (9.6%).  

Other negative circumstances included not being able to afford to keep the house warm enough (7.8%), not being able to buy enough food, or having to use a food bank (5.9%), and a parent or partner losing their job or business (5.6%). 

Children with a probable mental disorder were more likely than those unlikely to have a mental disorder to live in households that had experienced at least 1 of these events or changes (49.3% compared with 34.0%).  

Differences included: 

  • 28.6% of children with a probable mental disorder lived in a household that experienced a reduction in household income, compared with 18.1% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 21.0% of children with a probable mental disorder lived in a household where a parent or someone close to them had been seriously ill, compared with 11.6% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 17.8% of children with a probable mental disorder lived in a household that had fallen behind with bills, rent or mortgage, compared with 7.6% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 13.6% of children with a probable mental disorder lived in a household where they could not afford to keep the house warm enough, compared with 6.0% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 11.8% of children with a probable mental disorder lived in a household where they had not been able to buy enough food, or had to use a food bank, compared with 4.4% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 

For more information see: Table 5.1a of the Excel data tables.


Figure 5.1 base: 7 to 16 year olds.

Household circumstances by mental health of young person

In 2022 for 17 to 22 year olds, the most commonly reported change or event in the past year was starting a new job or course of study, experienced by 2 in 5 young people (40.0%). Someone close to them, or themselves, being seriously ill was experienced by 15.7% of young people and 12.6% moved out of a parent or carer’s home.  

Other negative changes or events reported were a reduction in household income (9.6%), falling behind with bills (5.7%), not being able to buy enough food or using a food bank (5.1%) and not being able to afford to keep the house warm enough (4.9%).  

Young people with a probable mental disorder were more likely than young people who were unlikely to have a mental disorder to report experiencing some of the changes or events: 

  • young people with a probable mental disorder were more likely to report moving in with a partner than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (9.1% compared with 1.2%) 
  • young people with a probable mental disorder were more likely to report not being able to buy enough food or using a food bank than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (14.8% compared with 2.1%) 

For more information see: Table 5.1b of the Excel data tables.


Figure 5.2 base: 17 to 22 year olds.


Experiences of social media

Definition

Children aged 11 to 16 years and young people aged 17 to 24 years who reported using social media were asked about their experiences online. Participants were asked whether they agreed a lot, agreed a little, neither agreed nor disagreed, disagreed a little, or disagreed a lot, with 2 statements: 

  • “I have been bullied online” 
  • “I feel safe using social media” 

These questions were only asked in 2022.  

Information on the use of social media by children and young people can be found in the Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2022.  

Experiences of social media by mental health of child

1 in 8 children (12.6%) aged 11 to 16 years who used social media agreed (a lot or a little) with the statement “I have been bullied online”.  

Nearly 2 in 3 children who used social media (62.8%) agreed that they felt safe using social media. Girls were less likely than boys to agree with the statement “I feel safe using social media”; 56.1% of girls agreed compared with 69.8% of boys. 

Children who used social media with a probable mental disorder were more likely to have been bullied online; 29.4% agreed with the statement compared with 7.9% of children unlikely to have a mental disorder. They were also less likely to agree that they felt safe online; 48.4% of those with a probable mental disorder agreed with the statement compared with 66.5% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder. 

Experiences of social media by mental health of young person

  • Young women were almost twice as likely to report having been bullied online than young men (19.5% compared with 11.3%), and less likely to agree that they felt safe using social media than young men (48.6% compared with 65.9%).

Among young people aged 17 to 24 years who used social media, 15.3% agreed with the statement “I have been bullied online”. Young women were almost twice as likely to report having been bullied online than young men (19.5% compared with 11.3%). 

In this age group, 57.5% of social media users agreed “I feel safe using social media”. Again, young women were less likely to agree with this statement, with 48.6% agreeing compared with 65.9% of young men. There were no statistically significant differences between young people with a probable mental disorder and those unlikely to have a mental disorder for this statement. 

Young people who used social media with a probable mental disorder were more likely to report that they had been bullied online; 26.3% of those with a probable mental disorder agreed with this statement compared with 10.7% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder.  

For more information see: Table 5.2 of the Excel data tables.


Figure 5.3 base: 11 to 24 year old social media users.


Feelings about local area

Definition

Children aged 11 to 16 years were asked about their feelings towards their neighbourhood and local area. Children were asked whether they agreed a lot, agreed a little, neither agreed nor disagreed, disagreed a little, or disagreed a lot, with 4 statements. These questions were only asked in 2022. 

Feelings about area by mental health of child

For all children aged 11 to 16 years, the highest levels of agreement were with the statements “I like living in my neighbourhood” (83.9% agreed) and “I feel safe in my neighbourhood/my local area” (83.8% agreed). The lowest level of agreement was with the statement “In my area there are enough places to play and/or have a good time” (69.8% agreed).  


Figure 5.4 base: 11 to 16 year olds.

  • 11 to 16 year olds with a probable mental disorder were less likely to feel safe in their neighbourhood, to like living in their neighbourhood or to trust people where they live than those unlikely to have a mental disorder.

There were differences between responses for children with a probable mental disorder and those unlikely to have a mental disorder. Those with a probable mental disorder were less likely to agree with several of the positive statements: 

  • 74.2% agreed: “I feel safe in my neighbourhood/my local area” compared with 87.4% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 72.9% agreed: “I like living in my neighbourhood” compared with 88.1% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 
  • 57.4% agreed “I can trust people around here” compared with 79.0% of those unlikely to have a mental disorder 

For more information see: Table 5.3 of the Excel data tables.


Last edited: 31 January 2023 9:34 am