FOI reference: FOI-2036-3470
You asked
Please release the following information:
1. Any available data from the past five years relating to the prevalence of depression among students in the UK (including university and, if available, further education students).
2. Any breakdowns of this data by:
- Age group
- Gender
- Religion
- Type of education institution
3. Any reports, surveys, or statistical analyses conducted or held by the Office for National Statistics relating to depression, mental health, or wellbeing among students.
4. Any available trends or changes over time in depression rates among students within this five-year period.
We said
Thank you for your request.
We do not routinely collect or analyse data on the prevalence of depression specifically among students in the UK, and as such we unfortunately do not hold data showing trends over the last five years.
We do produce indicators of mental health and well-being based on self reported measures, which you may find of interest.
Within the UK Measures of National Well-being framework, we publish an Understanding Society measure relating to symptoms of anxiety or depression. This is derived from the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12), which asks respondents 12 questions about their recent feelings. Responses are scored and summed to produce a total score ranging from 0 to 12. A score of four or more is commonly used as an indicator of possible mild to moderate mental ill health, such as anxiety or depression. This measure is updated annually and includes breakdowns by age group, including those aged 16 to 24 years.
In addition, we publish quarterly data on personal well‑being (life satisfaction, anxiety, happiness and feelings of worthwhileness) with breakdowns by age, region and sex. Annual personal well‑being estimates are also published by personal characteristics, which include employment status, with "student" available as a category.
We also publish children's well-being measures, which cover children of school age (and therefore some of student age), though these do not extend to university-aged students. These measures focus on wider aspects of well-being and emotional difficulties, and do not include an explicit measure of depression.
In addition, the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey has collected data on depression experienced by adults in Great Britain. These data are focussed on adults aged 16 years and over, and do not provide breakdowns on students.
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the ONS also conducted a series of surveys that covered higher education students, and asked students questions on life satisfaction, loneliness and whether their mental health had changed. Data were collected during specific weeks between November 2020 and February 2022.
The Student Experiences Insights Survey (SEIS) included some statistics on the mental health and well-being, behaviours, plans, and opinions of first year higher education students in the context of guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic. This found 37% of first year students showed moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression at the time of data collection (4 and 11 October 2021). More information about this study, and the methodology used to collect the data, can be found in our Coronavirus and first year higher education students, England: 4 October to 11 October 2021 bulletin. A further survey covering students in the third year or later in their course covered similar themes.
Furthermore, two surveys were run between October 2022 and February 2023 on the subject of cost of living for higher education students that covered life satisfaction and relative changes in their mental health since start of academic year. This was followed up with some qualitative analysis on the experiences of the rising cost of living, where themes' effects on mental health were found.
We have also worked with NHS Digital in the collection of mental health statistics for children and young people in England, as part of the Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey. This includes survey data collected between 2020 and 2023, including young adults aged 17 to 19 years, who experience a probable mental disorder. More information on this can be found on the NHS Digital website.
For more detailed data specifically on depression among students, you may wish to contact: