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A school-based survey of students in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire examined over 200 key factors in the lives and expectations of young people, aged 8-18 years, helping to shed light on mental health during lockdown.

Student working at desk with laptop

The Oxford University-led study included 19,000 students from 237 schools across Berkshire East, Berkshire West, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, South Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Students in Years 4 to 13 (aged 8-18 years) completed the OxWell School Survey 2020, either while at school or at home. The survey assessed mental wellbeing, anxiety, indicators of vulnerability, sleep patterns, online safety, and protective factors, such as exercise, social interaction, and attitudes to accessing mental health support.

The analysis of results from the survey findings is on-going, however early reports suggest that older students were more likely to perceive their mental wellbeing as being lower during lockdown compared with before lockdown, with those in Years 10, 12, and 13 reporting the worst outcomes.

The full story is available on the University of Oxford website