Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
413. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has had regard to the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study; and if a further similar study will be constructed to take account of the current pandemic and the potential psychosocial effects on children today. [60509/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraGrowing Up in Ireland (GUI) is the national longitudinal study of children and young people, funded by my Department and managed by my Department in association with the Central Statistics Office. The study is carried out on behalf of my Department by a GUI study team at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
As a longitudinal study, GUI, which surveys the same individuals over time, is ideally suited to gathering data on the effects that COVID-19 is having, and will have, on the lives of children, young people and parents. As Minister, I am fully committed to ensuring that this study captures information about the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
In December 2020, a special on-line COVID-19 specific survey was carried out with GUI participants: 12 year olds and parents of 12 year olds in the younger GUI group (Cohort ’08) and 22 year old young adults in the older GUI group (Cohort ’98).
A Key Findings report from the survey was published in March of this year based on data from 2,277 22-year-olds, 3,301 12-year-olds and 3,901 parents of the 12-year-olds. These children, parents and young people have been participating in GUI for over a decade, which means GUI already has a significant amount of data about their experiences pre-pandemic.
The survey focused on participants’ experiences of the pandemic including: the effects on learning and employment; changes in free-time activities; personal experience of and sources of information about COVID-19; and emotional well-being. Key findings included:
- Only half of students – in both age-groups – said it was ‘always true’ that they had a quiet place to study while learning at home, which was less likely if they were from low-income families.
- Many participants in both cohorts reported symptoms of low mood, with 22% of 12-year-olds and almost half of 22-year-olds (48%) in the low mood group. In both cohorts, this was more common for girls and young women.
- More than 10% of 22-year-olds felt they had missed out on needed mental health support because of the pandemic. However, most 22-year-olds felt they had someone to talk to about problems and/or who could offer practical help if they got ill.
- Young adults aged 22 years were more likely than 12-year-olds to increase the amount of junk food or sweets they ate during the pandemic restrictions (44% versus 29%).
- Amongst 22-year-olds who were in employment before or during the pandemic, almost half (46%) had lost their job or been temporarily laid off.
- Parents were the most important source of information about COVID-19 for 12-year-olds but for 22-year-olds it was reading or watching the news.
- Despite current difficulties, most participants in both cohorts were optimistic about the future.
The full report is available on the Growing Up in Ireland website. In addition to this report, through my Department’s research partnership with the ESRI, a further analysis of the data from the GUI special COVID-19 survey is planned. This new analysis will examine in more depth the experiences of 22 year olds in relation to employment and mental health outcomes. Findings from this analysis will be available early in 2022.
A new wave of GUI data collection is currently underway with the parents and children in the younger GUI cohort who are now 13 years old, and includes questions that will capture further information on the experience of COVID-19 and update our understanding of any ongoing impact on various aspects of their lives. A further wave of data collection from the older cohort at age 25 is also planned for 2023, with a pilot planned for 2022.
The Growing Up in Ireland study offers a unique opportunity to analyse the impact of COVID-19 because it captures information on participants across a range of areas, including physical health, socioemotional well-being, education, relationships and civic engagement – not just at a moment in time, but over time. This means that GUI can track the impact of unexpected events, such as COVID-19, providing insights into pre and post pandemic experiences. As GUI also collects information on participants’ sociodemographic characteristics such as social class, income or family structure, the findings can also be analysed by these factors, highlighting where experiences may differ.
Anonymised datafiles from the GUI COVID-19 survey have been released and are available to bona fide researchers from the Irish Social Science Data Archive.
In addition to the Growing Up in Ireland study, during 2020, my Department, working with the Department of Health and the youth sector, collaborated with SpunOut.ie to undertake an online consultation with young people about their experiences of COVID-19, called ‘How’s Your Head: Young Voices during COVID-19’. A Youth Advisory Group worked with the Department to guide the development and analysis of the consultation, which sought to better understand how young people were experiencing COVID-19, asking them what had been working well for them and what were the challenges to maintaining their wellbeing. Responses were received from 2,173 young people aged 15-24.
The findings were published in October 2020 and highlighted a range of difficulties reported by young people, as well as a range of positives they wanted to take forward. The most common negative effects related to the mental health of respondents, including overthinking, worry, anxiety and depression. More than a third of young people missed their friends and many had concerns about their education, particularly those aged 18 or over. Among the positives were self-care, quality family time, including time spent with family pets, a simpler, slower, quieter life, quality friendships and feeling less pressured.
The findings from Growing Up in Ireland, and from the ‘How’s Your Head’ Consultation have provided important evidence that has guided our response to COVID-19.
