The wellbeing of young people in Suffolk continues to improve despite levels remaining below those recorded by the NHS in 2020, a watchdog has said.
A survey conducted by Healthwatch Suffolk found that 35 per cent (2,034) of the more than 9,000 young people quizzed experienced sexual harassment at school or college, down from 57 per cent in 2023.
In addition, 1,584 (20 per cent) felt unsafe at school owing to bullying or cyberbullying, while hundreds were troubled by discrimination or harassment.
Young people’s wellbeing has improved since 2023 but remains lower than 2020, Healthwatch Suffolk has said. Picture: iStock
Those who reported having seen or heard sexual harassment at school or college were likelier to feel unsafe, especially in hallways and toilets, the data said.
Meanwhile, less than a third of those who reported having seen or heard potential sexual harassment reported feeling safe in all school or college areas, compared to almost three-quarters of those who had not.
However, Healthwatch Suffolk has warned that a perception of improved wellbeing shouldn’t mask inequality of how some youngsters will be affected more than others.
This comes as part of its annual ‘My Health, Our Future’ survey, which sees young people answer questions on their mental health, alongside other related topics.
The data was commissioned by the NHS and will help guide decision-making over the next year.
Schools and colleges supporting the survey are given a copy to help them plan wellbeing strategies.
Wendy Herber, independent chairwoman of Healthwatch Suffolk, said: “With overall wellbeing showing a marked improvement this year, our findings indicate a positive wellbeing trend for many young people in Suffolk.
“However, they must also remain a collective call to action to leaders across sectors to remain focused on wellbeing support for all young people and to confront and eliminate all of the forms of abuse they experience.”
The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWS) score for 11 to 16 year olds this year was 22.8, down from 24.6 for 2020 but up from the historic lows of 2021 and 2022, of 19.9.
According to healthwatch, Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale ranged from seven (lowest) to 35 (highest).
The survey was designed to help people understand more about what can influence the wellbeing of young people in Suffolk, such as sleep or exercise, while exploring what can make them feel happier at school or about their futures.
Other key findings from this year’s survey included 45 per cent of respondents worrying about how they looked nearly every day or more than half the days in the month before taking the survey, with female and LGBT+ students the most likely to worry about this.
In addition, 30 per cent worried about their eating habits, while pupils who recorded lower than average sleeping having lower wellbeing scores, which would hamper mood and concentration.
The data found that a quarter of young people were not getting the recommended daily levels of exercise, with students who exercised more getting more sleep and reporting high wellbeing and happiness with their appearances.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73 per cent) said a friend had talked to them about mental health, including anxiety and depression.
Garry Joyce, deputy director of transformation for children and young people for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, said it was pleasing that young people’s mental wellbeing continued to improve, underlining the good work happening in communities and listening to their needs.
This would give them the best chance in life, he continued.
Mr Joyce added: “Despite this good news, we know there remains further work to do, which is why this annual Healthwatch Suffolk survey is so important to help identify those areas that need improvement and further development.
“Our young people are our future. We want to do all we can to support them.”
Meanwhile, Cathy Durrant, group head of pastoral support and administration at West Suffolk College (WSC) said the institute had taken part in the survey for several years now.
WSC found the well-structured analysis of results invaluable to examine and meet specific needs and measure them against the region.
She added: “We can target additional support in the areas where it is most needed. We also find that the students benefit from the survey process.
“They ask questions whilst completing it and it can provoke good discussions amongst groups whilst getting them to think seriously about issues that affect them. We are happy to take part in this survey and will continue to do so.”
Ms Herber said Healthwatch Suffolk continued to welcome the extensive support of the NHS, schools, colleges and another organisations to explore young people’s wellbeing.
She added: “This research, and its extraordinary response rate each year, is a critical source of evidence and insight upon which those responsible for planning support for young people can base their decision-making.”