The Issue

Coronavirus has had an unprecedented impact on children and their families across the globe. The extended school closures, disruption of routine and lack of clarity around examination and assessment has been a significant change in the lives of young people. Not only have they missed out on quality education, but also the broader positive impacts of their school environment. There is a concern that this could have worrying impacts on children and young people’s mental health in both the short and long-term.

Why Does it Matter?

It is well known that schools provide structure and safety, particularly to vulnerable children and young people. Current school closures impact all young people but are likely to place vulnerable young people at further risk of mental ill-health.

Our Project

This research will provide vital national data directly from pupils, to assess impacts on mental health and education. It will contextualise pupils’ experience within data on COVID-19 prevalence, health patterns and trends and against educational achievement outcomes data, to inform interventions and policy making.

Students can complete a survey that will gauge how classroom closures, feelings of isolation and exam cancellations have affected their mental health and wellbeing. The study will also assess the effect of school closures on the mental health of pupils typically identified as vulnerable. Young people will be asked what they think can be done to address any concerns they raise.

This study investigates:

1. How isolation, school closure and exam cancellation caused by Covid-19 affect the mental health of the generality of young people in Scotland

2. Whether and to what extent there are additional impacts on the mental health of groups of young people typically identified as vulnerable

3. What young people, as pupils, think would help address their concerns about mental health in the context of the pandemic.

For more information on this project, please click here.

Our Outputs