This report presents preliminary findings on young people's mental health from the seventh round of the Young Lives survey conducted in Ethiopia, India and Peru in 2023–24, when the Younger Cohort was aged 22 and the Older Cohort was aged 29. 

It includes mental health outcomes measured during the sixth survey round conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, new information collected in Round 7 and qualitative interviews which together provide an holistic picture of young people's mental health and well-being. 

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted young people’s mental health, leading to a notable decline in subjective well-being and high levels of anxiety and depression, despite positive trends in subjective well-being over the previous two decades. Young Lives latest evidence from Round 7 suggests that young people have not yet recovered.

According to Round 7 data, in India and Peru, levels of anxiety and depression have remained similar to those reported during the pandemic. Detailed accounts of struggles with mental health issues from two young Peruvian women, shared in the report, illuminate the persistent challenges that affect mental health in Peru.  In Ethiopia, participants’ mental health has been deteriorating, most likely due to the ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara and Tigray regions. Participants from these regions report the highest levels of anxiety, stress, depression and PTSD. 

The authors found significant differences within countries across demographic and socio-economic subgroups: women report higher prevalence of mental health issues than men in India and Peru and there are significant differences when comparing young people born into low-income households with those born into wealthier families.

Young Lives will shortly be publishing a new Policy Brief drawing on this holistic evidence to provide recommendations to better promote, protect and care for young people's mental health, particularly those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.