Report reveals young people in Scotland happier than ever

Published on Wednesday 12 December 2007 00:37

YOUNG people in Scotland are happier than ever before, with levels of confidence among children rising by an average of 14 per cent, a new study has revealed.

Research by the University of Edinburgh's Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, indicated satisfaction increased according to family wealth and was more evident among those who lived with both parents.

Young people living in remote rural areas were the most content, with those living in urban areas and easily accessible towns feeling more confident.

Of the children polled - all of whom were aged between 11 and 15 years - 49 per cent reported being "very happy."

Last night, psychologists said an improving economy, with families reaping the rewards of a richer society, could explain why Scotland's children were happier than they were in the 1990s.

Researchers questioned 6,220 pupils from 198 schools across Scotland and found levels of happiness and confidence had risen by an average of 14 per cent between 1994 and 2006.

The "Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children" (HBSC) study asked young people to rate how happy they felt about their lives.

Levels of happiness, life satisfaction, perceived health and confidence were found to be highest among boys and younger adolescents. Boys made up 52 per cent of all those who said they were "very happy".

The proportion of "very happy" boys went up from 39 per cent in 1994 to 52 per cent, while the figure for "very happy" girls rose from 30 per cent to 45 per cent.

Kate Levin, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh and lead researcher in the HBSC study, admitted she had been pleasantly surprised by the findings. "The biggest surprise has been the actual trend itself," she said. "Overall, everybody's happiness seems to be increasing.

"We are not talking about the absence of depression and anxiety but about positive mental health; that is, someone saying that they feel happy.

"Scotland tends to get a bad press when it comes to health, so it is nice to see something positive for a change."

The report comes months after the United Kingdom was ranked bottom in a UNICEF study of child wellbeing in 21 industrialised countries.

Cary Cooper, professor of psychology and health at Lancaster University, said a more affluent society would have a major impact on a child's outlook. "We have become richer and it does make people feel better," he said.

"Since the 1990s, there have been new industries in Scotland and economically it is doing better, bringing people out of lower incomes."

However, Anne Houston, chief executive of the charity Children 1st, urged caution over the findings.

"It is encouraging to hear that some children and young people are feeling increasingly happy and confident," she said.

"But we know from calls to ChildLine Scotland and our other services for children that there are still far too many scared, anxious and unhappy children who are suffering from abuse and neglect in Scotland."

SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN IN UK

BRITAIN was deemed the worst place in the developed world in which to grow up, in a major study published earlier this year.

Wide-ranging research released by UNICEF in February revealed the UK lags behind countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary in a league table assessing children's wellbeing.

It highlighted that the UK is struggling in terms of relative poverty and deprivation, the quality of children's relationships with their parents and peers, education and young people's own sense of wellbeing, as well as their behaviour and risk-taking.

Academics compared 40 indicators to compile the snapshot of life for children in 30 industrialised nations. The review put the UK in the bottom third in five of the six "dimensions" measured. It fared best in the category examining health and safety - finishing 15th out of 25 countries.

The UNICEF report described the UK's performance as a "shocking" result for one of the richest countries examined.