Child and youth voice research findings

Youth health and wellbeing survey - What-About-Me?

AUTHOR: Malatest International | Ministry of Social Development

The Youth health and wellbeing survey - What About Me? reached 7,209 of Aotearoa New Zealand’s year 9 to 13 students, about what it's like to be a young person in Aotearoa. It ran between June and November 2021. An additional 502 young people completed surveys in community settings, including alternative education providers and community organisations that support young people.

The survey asked about: them; their family, whānau and home; their education, work and plans for the future; their community and neighbourhood; how they felt about life overall; safety and things that might not have been good in their life; one thing they think would help to have a good life now and in the future.

Survey findings identified areas of strength, resilience and challenges for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand.  High-level key findings include:

  • Most young people feel loved and connected
  • Many young people have a strong sense of identity
  • Most young people have a stable home base
  • Young people aspire to achieve and contribute
  • Some young people were more likely to have experienced discrimination
  • Young women were less positive than young men about many aspects of their lives
  • Mental wellbeing overall for young people appears to be deteriorating
  • Young people at lower decile schools were more likely to worry about their whānau not being able to pay for essentials

The report includes an overview report, a techical report and a set of data tables

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