Published October 2022

The Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey called What About Me? surveyed 7,209 young people years 9 to 13 in their schools during 2021. Another 502 youth of the same age completed surveys in their communities (eg at alternative education). What About Me? listens to our young people, capturing invaluable data and insights to inform decisions and policies to support youth wellbeing.

The survey findings identified areas of strength, resilience and challenges for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand:

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; (From the website). Record #7856