Life at age 17: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study (Sweep 11)

9 Mental health and life satisfaction

This chapter sets out findings in relation to both young peoples’ and parents’ mental health and life satisfaction. It covers topics such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, fear of failure, social and behavioural development, loneliness and significant life events.

9.1 Experiences of depression and anxiety

9.1.1 Symptoms of depression

Young people were asked if they had experienced any symptoms of depression in the two weeks prior to interview^[19]. They were asked how often, if at all, a number of statements had applied to them in the last two weeks. On this basis, 2.5% reported severe depressive symptoms, 9.0% moderately severe symptoms, 16.7% moderate symptoms, 25.7% mild symptoms and 46.1% no significant symptoms.

As shown in Figure 9‑A, 28.2% of young people reported moderate, moderately severe or severe symptoms Young women were more likely to report moderate to severe depressive symptoms than young men (38.2% compared with 16.5%).

Base: All young people (1865); young men (858); young women (1002)

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to report moderate to severe depressive symptoms (52.9% compared with 21.2%).

9.1.2 Experiences of anxiety

Experiences of anxiety were measured using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7)^[20]. Results showed that in the past two weeks, 11.6% of young people reported that they had experienced severe anxiety, 13.2% reported moderate anxiety, 27.5% reported mild anxiety, and 47.7% reported no or low anxiety.

Base: All young people (1886); young men (865); young women (1016)

As shown in Figure 9‑B young women were more likely than young men to report experiencing anxiety. Young disabled people were also more likely to report experiencing anxiety (29.8% reported severe anxiety compared with 6.8% of young non-disabled people).

9.1.3 Diagnosis and treatment of depression or anxiety

Young people were also asked if they had ever been told by a doctor that they suffer from depression or serious anxiety - 15.2% said that they had. Young women were more likely to say yes (21.6%) than young men (7.5%). Furthermore, young disabled people were more likely to say yes (42.5%) than young non-disabled people (9.3%)^[21].

Of those young people who had been told by a doctor that they suffered from depression or severe anxiety, 38.8% were being treated for it at the time of the interview. Young women were more likely to be receiving treatment (41.6%) than young men (28.7%). Young disabled people were also more likely to be receiving treatment (55.6%) than young non-disabled people (19.3%).

Of those who had ever been told by a doctor that they suffered from depression or serious anxiety but were not receiving treatment at the time of the interview, 45.8% said that they had previously received treatment.

9.2 Self-harm

Around one in five (21.2%) young people reported hurting themselves in some way on purpose since their previous GUS interview. Young women were more likely to have hurt themselves than young men (27.8% compared with 13.4%). Young disabled people were more likely to report hurting themselves than young non-disabled people (43.7% compared with 14.8%).

Of those who reported hurting themselves, 35.0% said that they had done it ‘once or twice’, 41.0% said that they had done it ‘occasionally’, 14.2% had done it ‘often’ and 9.8% had done it ‘very often’.

9.3 Support for young people

Young people were asked to what extent the following statement was true: ‘There is at least one adult that I trust and can talk to if I have a problem’. As shown in Figure 9‑C, most (69.8%) this was ‘completely true’.

Young disabled people were less likely to feel there was an adult they could trust and talk to: 60.7% said this was ‘completely true’ for them compared with 73.1% of young non-disabled people.

Base: All young people (1930); disabled (227); non-disabled (1261)

When asked who they would speak to if they were worried about something, 54.0% of young people said that they would talk to their parents and 53.9% said talk to a friend, whilst 22.9% said they would ‘keep it to myself’ (Figure 9‑D).

Base: All young people (1912)

Young men were more likely to keep their problems to themselves (30.1%) than young women (16.7%). Young women were more likely than young men to talk to their parents (59.3% compared with 47.8%) and to talk to a friend (60.8% compared with 45.7%). Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to talk to a friend (44.8% compared with 55.7%).

Those in SIMD 1 (the most deprived quintile) were less likely than those in SIMD 5 to talk to a friend (45.6% compared with 58.9%) or to a parent (46.9% compared with 58.9%) but more likely to talk to a boyfriend or girlfriend (22.3% compared with 18.6%).

Young people were also asked whether they had done anything from a range of options (shown in Figure 9‑E) to support their mental health since their last interview. Around two-fifths (42.0%) had not done anything specifically to support their mental health but 48.4% had spoken to a friend or family member and 17.3% had spoken to a doctor.

Base: All young people (1912)

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to have done something to support their mental health since the last interview (80.9% compared with 52.7%). Young women were also more likely than young men to have done something to support their mental health since the last interview (66.9% compared with 47.3%).

9.4 Wellbeing and life satisfaction

9.4.1 Loneliness

Young people were asked how often during the past week they had felt lonely - 42.8% of young people said that they had felt lonely ‘none’ or ‘almost none of the time’, 39.8% said they had felt lonely ‘some of the time’, while 13.3% said they had felt lonely ‘most of the time’ and 4.2% said they had felt lonely ‘all or almost all of the time’.

Young women were more likely to report feeling lonely (61.4% said they felt lonely at least some of the time in the past week compared with 52.1% of young men). Young disabled people were more likely to have felt lonely (73.9% said they felt lonely at least some of the time compared with 52.5% of young non-disabled people).

9.4.2 Fear of failure

To measure fear of failure, young people were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with three statements. As shown in Figure 9‑F, between half and two thirds agreed with each statement.

Base: All young people (varies per item 1935-1939)

When asked whether they worry about what others think of them, young women were more likely to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they worry about what other people think of them (69.0%) than young men (42.9%).

When asked if failing made them worry that they might not have enough talent, young women were more likely than young men to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ (60.9% compared with 35.6%) and young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ with this (60.9% compared with 47.5%).

Young women were more likely than young men to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that failure made them doubt their plans for the future (72.2% compared with 40.3%) whilst young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to ‘agree’ or ‘agree strongly agree’ with this statement (67.6% compared with 55.6%).

9.4.3 Growth mindset and sense of belonging

Young people were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the statement ‘your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much’. Almost a fifth ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’, (Figure 9‑G). Young men were more likely (53.6%) than young women (45.2%) to ‘disagree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ with this. Meanwhile, those in SIMD 1 (the most deprived quintile) were less likely to ‘disagree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ (42.0%) than those in SIMD 5 (58.7%).

To measure a sense of belonging, young people were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with the following two statements: ‘I make friends easily’ and ‘I feel like an outsider (or left out of things)’ - with 58.1% reporting that they ‘agreed’ or ’strongly agreed’ that they make friends easily (Figure 9‑G). Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to ‘disagree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ with this statement (36.3% compared 16.2%).

Meanwhile, 22.8% ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they felt like an outsider (Figure 9‑G). Young men were more likely to disagree with this statement (57.9%) than young women (41.8%). Young disabled people were more likely to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ (35.9%) than young non-disabled people (19.7%).

Base: All young people (varies per item 1931-1933)

9.4.4 Control

Young people were asked which of the following two statements was more true for them:

• ‘I usually have a free choice and control over my life’
• ‘Whatever I do has no real effect on what happens to me’.

The vast majority (95.0%) of young people chose the first statement. Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to choose the second statement (9.3% compared with 3.6%).

9.4.5 Life satisfaction

Life satisfaction was measured through four items from the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale^[22]. Results on the individual items are shown in Figure 9‑H. Responses on the individual items were combined to produce an overall life satisfaction score. The average score was then calculated and a summary variable created indicating whether or not the young person’s score was below average. Overall, 46.8% of young people had a life satisfaction score that was below average.

Base: All young people (varies per item 1941-1944)

Young women were more likely than young men to express below average life satisfaction – 51.6% had a below average score compared with 41.1%. Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to have a below average life satisfaction score (67.3% compared with 40.7%).

Those in the most deprived quintile were more likely to report a below average life satisfaction score (52.7% of those in SIMD 1 compared with 42.3% of those in SIMD 5).

9.5 Significant life events

Young people were asked if they had experienced any significant events since their last GUS interview. The most common life events experienced by young people are shown in Figure 9-I^[23].

Base: All young people (2356)

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to have experienced a number of events, including:

• Severe mental health issues in the immediate family (14.8% compared with 5.0%)
• Severe physical health issues in the immediate family (8.4% compared with 2.5%)
• Conflict between parents (7.3% compared with 3.9%)
• Drug or alcohol issues in the immediate family (6.2% compared with 1.4%)
• Death of a parent or parent Figure (3.9% compared with 1.2%)
• Family experienced crime (4.3% compared with 1.1%)
• Another disturbing event not listed (7.8% compared with 1.8%).

There were also differences by level of area deprivation. For example, young people in SIMD 1 (the most deprived quintile) were more likely than those in SIMD 5 to have experienced the following:

• Death or serious event in close family (41.5% compared with 33.6%)
• Severe physical health issues in the immediate family (5.4% compared with 2.8%)
• Conflict between parents (2.9% compared with 4.4%)
• Death of a parent or parent Figure (3.9% compared with 1.3%)
• Family experienced crime (3.7% compared with 0.5%).