Author: Equalise
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Why do coastal communities experience poorer health outcomes?
This study looked at whether people living in coastal areas are more likely to develop multiple long-term health conditions in midlife using data from the 1958 and 1970 British birth cohort studies. The findings suggest that coastal living itself is not the main cause of poorer health. Instead, coastal communities were more likely to experience…
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How intensive caregiving may accelerate cognitive decline
This article highlights the impact of caregiving on cognitive health in later life, and how it depends on how much care is provided. Older adults who provided a moderate amount of care (around 5–9 hours per week) showed a slower decline in thinking and decision-making skills than non-carers, suggesting that caregiving can be mentally stimulating…
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Does physical punishment help children behave better, or make things worse?
This UK study on more than 10,000 children found no evidence that physical punishment benefits children’s behaviour, learning, or wellbeing. Instead, children who experienced physical punishment were more likely to have behavioural and emotional difficulties, lower literacy scores, poorer GCSE results, and higher levels of risky or antisocial behaviour during adolescence. More than one in…
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Who cares for Europe’s carers?
This special collection brings together evidence from England and 29 European countries to better understand who provides unpaid care and how caregiving affects people’s lives. The research shows that caring responsibilities are not shared equally and can have important consequences for employment, health, and social participation. The findings also highlight persistent inequalities, particularly by gender,…
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Young carers: the forgotten young people in the NEET conversation
Young carers are far more likely than their peers to spend extended periods not in education, employment or training (NEET), with over twice the risk of being in this position for two or more years. This highlights how caring responsibilities can disrupt the move from school into work or further study. The gap persists even…
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Are young carers facing a hidden mental health crisis?
This study found that young carers aged 16–18 consistently experienced poorer mental health than their peers during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Young carers were more likely to report chronic mental illness, alongside higher levels of depression and anxiety. These mental health inequalities were seen across all groups and did not differ by gender, ethnicity,…
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When does caregiving help the brain, and when does it become too much?
This study examined how taking on a caring role in later life affects cognitive health. It found that providing lower levels of care, particularly for parents or relatives living outside the household, was linked to a slower decline in thinking and decision-making skills. In contrast, people providing very intensive care (50 or more hours per…
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Briefing Note on Young People’s Experiences and Views of ‘NEET’ as a Category
Katherine E. Smith, Anna Gkiouleka, Katharine Timpson | Equalise Briefing Note on Young People’s Experiences and Views of ‘NEET’ as a Category |DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20138207
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Can adverse life experiences increase the risk of dementia later in life?
This study explored whether adverse experiences across the lifecourse are linked to a higher risk of dementia in later life. Researchers found that experiencing more adversity during adulthood was associated with a greater risk of developing dementia, with each additional adverse experience increasing risk. Two experiences stood out in particular: childhood abuse was linked to…
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Do parenting programmes improve mental wellbeing for families?
This study tested whether a group‑based parenting programme could improve wellbeing for families living in disadvantaged and ethnically diverse areas in England. Parents who took part in the programme reported better mental wellbeing both immediately after it ended and six months later, compared with those who were on a waiting list. The programme was delivered…
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Can a PhD change policy? Lessons from inside government
This blog article reflects on a PhD student’s three‑month placement with the UK government’s Open Innovation Team and what it taught them about turning academic research into real policy action. It highlights how policy work moves quickly, values clear and impartial communication, and depends on understanding political and practical context as well as evidence. The…
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Youth employment, education and training – policy response
The Equalise Work theme submitted written evidence to the Works and Pensions Committee Inquiry on Youth employment, education and training on 5th February 2026. Executive summary The response was prepared by the Equalise work theme with contributions from: We would be pleased to speak further about our response. Please contact Niamh Bridson-Hubbard (niamh.bridson@ucl.ac.uk).
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Young people and work – policy response
The Equalise Work and Place themes responded to a call for evidence from the Department for Works and Pensions on Young people and work on 26th January 2026. Summary The response was prepared by the Equalise Work and Place themes with contributions from: We would be pleased to speak further about our response. Please contact…
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How does being a young carer affect school attendance and achievement?
Young carers in England are already falling behind at school, and the gap continues to widen as they get older. This study shows that by the end of primary school, young carers are more likely to underperform academically, and by the end of secondary school they achieve fewer qualifications and are more likely to miss…
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Reading for pleasure – policy response
The Equalise Learning theme submitted written evidence to the Education Committee Inquiry on Reading for Pleasure on 7th January 2026. Executive summary The response was prepared by the Equalise Learning theme with contributions from: We would be pleased to speak further about our response. Please contact Yvonne Kelly (y.kelly@ucl.ac.uk).
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What’s the impact of ‘right to request’ flexible working reforms?
In 2014, a UK policy change gave all employees the right to request flexible working after six months on the job. This study found that the change led more women to reduce their working hours, which helped lower stress and improve life satisfaction. However, men didn’t show the same increase in flexible working, and the…
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Unpaid work – the missing link in the gender gap
Unpaid work such as housework and caring plays a major but often overlooked role in shaping gender inequality, work opportunities, and health. Women continue to do far more unpaid work than men, which affects their employment, pay, mental health, and long‑term wellbeing, especially at key life stages like parenthood, lockdowns during COVID‑19, and when caring…
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Why is mental health poorer among young people in England’s coastal communities?
Young people growing up in deprived coastal areas of England have poorer mental health in early adulthood than those who lived in similarly deprived inland areas. This study followed adolescents for more than a decade and found that while coastal communities face multiple environmental disadvantages, the main drivers of poorer mental health were families’ socioeconomic…
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What are the long‑term mental health effects of experiencing racism in adolescence?
Experiencing racism in adolescence can have lasting effects on mental health. This study followed young people in England from their late teens into adulthood and found that those who experienced racism at age 17 were more likely to report higher levels of psychological distress by age 25. However, racism in adolescence was not clearly linked…
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Early years: improving support for children and parents – policy response
The Equalise Care theme submitted written evidence to the Education Committee Inquiry on Early years: improving support for children and parents on 10th October 2025. Executive summary The response was prepared by the Equalise Care theme with contributions from: We would be pleased to speak further about our response. Please contact Enrico Pfeifer (enrico.pfeifer@ucl.ac.uk).
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How does a carer’s relationship with their care recipient affect mental health?
Caring for others, especially close family members, can affect mental health, but research hasn’t always looked closely at how different caregiving relationships matter. This study found that people who care for spouses or parents, especially women caring for someone in their own household, tend to experience more symptoms of depression. These effects can last over…
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Employment support for disabled people – policy response
The Equalise Work theme submitted written evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee Inquiry on Employment support for disabled people on 23rd September 2025. Executive summary Recommendations The response was prepared by the Equalise Work theme with contributions from: We would be pleased to speak further about our response. Please contact Niamh Bridson-Hubbard (niamh.bridson@ucl.ac.uk).
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New indicators to analyse how social roles relate to health
Researchers used data from the ALSPAC study to track six key adult roles, across education, employment, and parenthood, among people aged 16 to 31. They developed a method to reliably measure whether someone was in or out of each role each year of the analysed period. The patterns they found, such as when people left…
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Do caring responsibilities limit young people’s chances of educational success after 16?
Young carers face significant disadvantages in post‑16 education in England. By the end of secondary education, they achieve fewer qualifications overall and are much less likely to meet key benchmarks such as gaining three or more A‑levels or equivalent qualifications. Importantly, these gaps persist even after accounting for socioeconomic background, showing that caring responsibilities themselves…
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How does young caring influence educational attainment?
Young carers face serious educational disadvantages that begin in primary school and continue through secondary education. By the end of secondary school, young carers achieve fewer GCSEs overall, are less likely to reach key benchmarks, and are less likely to gain top grades than their non‑carer peers. These gaps appear early: at primary school age,…
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How is families’ mental health affected by adverse childhood experiences?
Children in the same family often share difficult early life experiences, but most research looks at just one child at a time. This study found that when a firstborn child experienced adversity, like family violence, parental mental health issues, or substance misuse, during the first 1000 days of life, their siblings were also more likely…
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Do teen friendships and family ties shape body weight into adulthood?
This study followed teenagers in the US into adulthood to see how their social connections influenced changes in body weight over time. Adolescents with stronger friendships tended to have healthier, more stable weight patterns as they grew older, while those with stronger family connections showed greater increases in body weight. These patterns were similar across…
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How does becoming a young carer affect health and wellbeing?
Young people who take on caring responsibilities often experience lower wellbeing, but it’s unclear when these changes begin or how long they last. This study found that young carers already had slightly lower life satisfaction two years before they started caring, and this continued for at least three years after. The impact was greater for…
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What’s the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more young people in the UK have taken on caring roles, rising from 8% to nearly 12%. These young carers are more likely to live in single-parent, low-income households and deprived areas. There’s also been an increase in high-intensity caring, especially among girls. Most care is still provided to parents. The…
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What’s the effect of growing up in deprived coastal communities for adult health?
Young people living in coastal areas of England report poorer health than those inland, especially in communities facing high deprivation. Using data from a national study, researchers found that coastal youth had worse self-rated health, more disability, and greater mental health challenges. These differences were strongest in the most deprived coastal areas. The findings suggest…