One in four Year 8 students meet probable mental health disorder threshold, English study finds

Growing Up in the 2020s follows nearly 8,000 12- and 13-year-olds in England, with 19% persistently absent and marked gaps for students eligible for free school meals and those receiving SEN provision

Growing Up in the 2020s is following thousands of Year 8 students in England through secondary school and into early adulthood

One in four Year 8 students in England met the criteria for a probable mental health disorder in the first findings from a new national longitudinal study tracking young people through secondary school and into early adulthood.

Growing Up in the 2020s is part of the Department for Education’s Education Outcome Pathway Studies program and establishes a nationally representative baseline of life for 12- and 13-year-olds in England. The first wave draws on information from 7,811 young people alongside data from parents, teachers, cognitive assessments and administrative education records.

The findings present a mixed picture. Most young people reported positive relationships, relatively high life satisfaction and a successful transition into secondary school, while sizeable minorities were experiencing problems with mental health, attendance, physical activity and school belonging.

Ninety-four percent said they felt neutral or happy about their life overall, 98% said the same about their family relationships and 95% about their friendships. Nine in ten reported getting at least eight hours of sleep on a typical weekday.

Against that, 25% met the study’s criteria for a probable mental health disorder and 19% met the threshold for persistent absence, defined in England as missing at least 10% of possible school sessions.

More than a third, 37%, did not agree that they felt a sense of belonging at school, while only 17% met the recommended guideline of at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Among young people who had experienced bullying, 31% were confident that school staff were aware of it.

The mental health measure uses the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a screening tool covering areas including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity or inattention and peer problems. Meeting the threshold for a probable disorder is therefore not the same as receiving a clinical diagnosis.

Mental health and attendance gaps widen for disadvantaged students

Some of the largest differences appeared among students eligible for free school meals and those receiving special educational needs provision.

In England, eligibility for free school meals (FSM), is commonly used as an indicator of socioeconomic disadvantage. Special educational needs, or SEN, refers to additional support provided to students who need extra help because of learning difficulties, disabilities or other needs affecting their education.

Among students eligible for free school meals, 36% met the criteria for a probable mental health disorder, compared with 20% of those who were not eligible.

The gap was wider for students receiving SEN provision. More than half, 54%, met the criteria for a probable mental health disorder, compared with 17% of those without SEN provision.

Attendance showed a similar divide. Thirty-four percent of students eligible for free school meals met the threshold for persistent absence, compared with 13% of students who were not eligible.

Students eligible for free school meals and those receiving SEN provision were also less likely to report strong school belonging, took part in fewer enrichment activities and experienced higher levels of bullying, alongside poorer physical health and wellbeing.

The researchers caution against treating these patterns as evidence of what causes the differences. This first stage is designed primarily to describe young people’s experiences and identify where outcomes vary between groups, with more detailed analysis planned later in the study.

A new baseline for adolescence in England

Growing Up in the 2020s follows a random sample of students who attended state schools or alternative state provision and were in Year 8 during the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

The study deliberately oversampled students eligible for free school meals to provide enough data to examine socioeconomic disadvantage in detail. Survey weighting was then applied so the findings reflect the wider Year 8 population in England.

Researchers are examining areas including physical and mental health, family relationships, friendships, school engagement, cognitive development, extracurricular activity and young people’s digital lives.

The digital component will become increasingly important in later waves. The study identifies social media, smartphones and the growing presence of artificial intelligence as part of the environment in which this generation is moving through adolescence.

The first wave provides the baseline. Future data collections will track whether differences in mental health, attendance, school experience and other outcomes widen, narrow or remain stable as the same young people move through adolescence and towards early adulthood.