Young People’s Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Crisis

346 young people in Kingston and Richmond took part in Youth Out Loud!’s survey and responded to questions about their mental & physical health and about accessing healthcare services & information.

Overall, the majority of young people reported improved or stable mental health during lockdown. Worse mental health was seen among 15- and 17-year olds, and among more females than males; with the most common reasons being not seeing friends and loved ones. A decrease in pressure from school and more time to reflect contributed to improved mental health, especially in 13, 14 and 16-year olds. Many young people reported using the creative arts to maintain good mental health. The majority of young people who could access the help they needed rated their mental and physical health more positively. Physical exercise was a key factor in maintaining good physical health; most of those who didn’t or couldn’t pursue it reported worse or much worse physical health. Almost half the young people that participated in the survey found physical healthcare to be neither worse nor better than pre-lockdown. However, the majority of young people with health conditions and/or disabilities said that the service they received was worse. Young people felt that young people’s service providers could support them to identify age-suitable online resources within the abundant information available, while accessing clearer and evidence-based resources.