Recent publications
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 policy didn’t boost other types of flexible arrangements like flexitime or working from home. While helpful for some, the policy may unintentionally reinforce gender gaps by encouraging more women into part-time roles.
Baowen Xue et al. | Does the ‘right to request’ flexible work policy influence men’s and women’s uptake of flexible working and well-being: findings from the UK Household Longitudinal Study | Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health, 2025
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 to have mental health problems and need hospital care as they grew up. The findings suggest that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in one child can signal wider risks for the whole family, highlighting the need for long-term support for first-time parents and their children.
Shabeer Syed et al. | Adverse childhood experiences in firstborns and mental health risk and health-care use in siblings: a population-based birth cohort study of half a million children in England | The Lancet Public Health, 2025
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 time, particularly for those caring for a cohabiting partner. The findings suggest that caregiving support should consider both the type of relationship and gender differences to better protect carers’ mental health.
Valerie Schaps et al. | Carer mental health in Europe. Does it matter who you care for? Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings from SHARE | Aging and Mental Health, 2025
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 those caring more than 10 hours a week, those from Black ethnic groups, and those from low-income households. However, becoming a carer didn’t seem to affect self-esteem or overall health. These findings highlight the need to identify and support young carers early, and to reduce the burden of care to protect their wellbeing.
Rebecca Lacey et al. | Changes in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and self-rated health before, during, and after becoming a young carer in the UK: a longitudinal, propensity score analysis | The Lancet Regional Health, 2025
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 findings highlight the need for better support for young carers and stronger links with adult health and social care services to help identify them.
Alejandra Letelier et al. |Understanding young caring in the UK pre- and post-COVID-19: Prevalence, correlates, and insights from three UK longitudinal surveys | Children and Youth Services Review, 2024
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 that efforts to improve health across England should pay special attention to young people in disadvantaged coastal communities.
Emily T. Murray et al. | Residence in coastal communities in adolescence and health in young adulthood: An 11-year follow-up of English UKHLS youth questionnaire respondents. | Children and Youth Services Review, 2024
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 home or became parents, matched national trends. These indicators can now help researchers explore how life paths relate to health and social outcomes over time.
Annie Herbert et al. | Data Note: Social role transitions (further/higher education, employment, living situation, parenthood, and being a carer) in the G1s of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) | Wellcome Open Research, 2024
