However, early in the pandemic research exploring how child mental health was being impacted was finding mixed results. child mental health, but some found improvements in some groups that were ascribed to a reduction in school- and social-related stress. Furthermore, some studies found that inequalities widened, as was predicted, but others nigeria rcs data reported little change or even reductions in inequalities. Many of these studies used cross-sectional convenience samples, which make comparisons to the pre-COVID period challenging and risk under-representing minority groups. This mixed evidence made it harder for policy makers and healthcare providers to understand how child mental health needs were changing.
Methods and data
To better understand changes in child mental health during the pandemic we needed more robust data.
Understanding Society is a nationally representative household panel study that has been annually interviewing UK households for more than a decade. Participants are asked about their social and economic lives, their relationships, behaviours, and health. During the pandemic, a sub-sample of participants were asked to complete a series of shorter surveys between spring 2020 and autumn 2021, exploring how the pandemic was impacting their lives.