Factors affecting children’s mental health and wellbeing: findings

6 Appendix Survey questions

Note: Questions were split into binary responses to identify more positive versus more negative experiences for that measure. For example, pupils who answered the family meals question with “hardly ever or never” were identified as having a potential risk factor of rarely sharing family meals. Pupils who gave any other answer (either “every day”, “4-6 days a week”, “2-3 days a week” or “once a week”) were identified as having the opposite potential protective factor of sharing family meals at least once a week. For the purposes of this analysis, these cut-offs allow for the comparison of outcomes for pupils with relatively more negative versus relatively more positive experiences.

6.1 Secondary school survey questions

i. Family

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
On how many days a week would you usually sit down to eat a main meal (at lunchtime or in the evening) with one or both of your parents or carers?	Every day	Protective factor Family shares meals at least once a week
	4-6 days a week
	2-3 days a week
	Once a week
	Hardly ever or never	Risk factor Family rarely or never shares meals
Members of my family shout at each other a lot	Strongly disagree	Protective factor Low family conflict
	Tend to disagree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to agree	Risk factor High family conflict
	Strongly agree
If you were really worried about something, how likely would you be to talk to a family member about it?	Very likely	Protective factor Child would speak to family member if worried
	Fairly likely
	Not very likely	Risk factor Child would not speak to family member if worried
	Not at all likely
I enjoy spending time with my family	Strongly agree	Protective factor Child enjoys spending time with family
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree	Risk factor Child does not enjoy spending time with family
	Tend to disagree
	Strongly disagree

ii. School

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How often do you feel strained or pressured by the schoolwork you have to do?	Never	Protective factor Child does not feel strained by schoolwork
	Sometimes
	A lot of the time	Risk factor Child feels strained by schoolwork a lot
How much do you like school at the moment?	I like it a lot	Protective factor Child likes school
	I like it a bit
	I don’t like it very much	Risk factor Child does not like school
	I don’t like it at all
My teachers care about me as a person	Strongly agree	Protective factor Child feels that teachers care about them
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Child feels that teachers do not care about them
	Strongly disagree
The pupils in my class(es) treat each other with respect	Strongly agree	Protective factor Pupils respect each other
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Pupils do not respect each other
	Strongly disagree

iii. Peer

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
Other pupils accept me as I am	Strongly agree	Protective factor Other pupils accept child
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Other pupils do not accept child
	Strongly disagree
In the last month, have other children or young people, either online/by phone or offline, done any of the following things…? [see bottom of table*]	No – not at all	Protective factor Child does not experience bullying
	Yes – online/by phone (at least one option selected)	Risk factor Child experiences bullying
	Yes – offline (at least one option selected)
Have you felt that someone has treated you badly because of any of the following things about you? [see bottom of table**]	None of these	Protective factor Child does not experience prejudice
	Other children and young people have treated me badly because of… (at least one option selected)	Risk factor Child experiences prejudice
	Adults have treated me badly because of… (at least one option selected)
How many close friends would you say you have?	Three or more	Protective factor Child has multiple friends
	Two
	One	Risk factor Child has few or no friends
	None

* Bullying options: Hit, kicked or punched you, taken your belongings or hurt or threatened you physically in some other way; Teased you in a mean way or called you hurtful names; Spread mean rumours or told lies about you, deliberately ignored you or excluded you from a group.

** Prejudice options: My accent; my gender; my age; my sexual orientation; a disability; my skin colour; the clothes I wear/the way I look; the language I speak at home; my family background; my nationality; my religion/faith/belief; other.

iv. Area

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
I feel safe being outside with my friends in this area	Strongly agree	Protective factor Child feels safe in area
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Child does not feel safe in area
	Strongly disagree
I could ask for help or a favour from neighbours	Strongly agree	Protective factor High social support (could ask neighbours for help)
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Low social support (could not ask neighbours for help)
	Strongly disagree
People say ‘hello’ and often stop to talk to each other in the street	Strongly agree	Protective factor High social cohesion (people say ‘hello’ in the street)
	Tend to agree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to disagree	Risk factor Low social cohesion (people do not say ‘hello’ in the street)
	Strongly disagree
There is nothing for young people to do in this area	Strongly disagree	Protective factor Things to do for young people in area
	Tend to disagree
	Neither agree nor disagree
	Tend to agree	Risk factor Nothing to do for young people in area
	Strongly agree

v. Health

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How is your health in general? Would you say it was…?	Very good	Protective factor Family shares meals at least once a week
	Good
	Fair
	Bad	Risk factor Family rarely or never shares meals
	Very bad
Over the past 7 days, on how many days were you physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day?	7 days	Protective factor Child is physically active at least once a week
	6 days
	5 days
	4 days
	3 days
	2 days
	1 day
	0 day	Risk factor Child is rarely or never physically active

6.2 Primary school survey questions

i. Family

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How often do you sit down at a table to eat a main meal with one or both of your parents?	Every day	Protective factor Family shares meals at least sometimes
	Most days
	Some days
	Rarely	Risk factor Family rarely or never shares meals
	Never
How often are there are a lot of bad arguments or fights at home?	Never	Protective factor Low family conflict
	Sometimes
	Often	Risk factor High family conflict
	Always
How often do you enjoy being with your family?	Always	Protective factor Child enjoys spending time with family
	Often
	Sometimes	Risk factor Child does not enjoy spending time with family
	Never
Parent-child relationship: Total score on four items from ‘People in My Life’ scale [see bottom of table*]	Higher than average score	Protective factor Good quality parent-child relationship
	Roughly average score
	Lower than average score	Risk factor Poor quality parent-child relationship

*Four items from People in My Life scale for parent-child relationship:

• My parents can tell when I’m upset about something
• I talk to my parents when I am having a problem
• If my parents know that something is bothering me, they ask me about it
• I share my thoughts and feelings with my parents

Each answered with:

(1) Never true

(2) Sometimes true

(3) Often true

(4) Always true

Total score of 4-16, where higher score indicates better quality parent-child relationship.

ii. School

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How much do you worry about not doing well at school?	A lot	Protective factor Child worried about schoolwork
	Quite a lot
	Not very much	Risk factor Child is not worried by schoolwork
	Not at all
Teacher-child relationship: Total score on three items [see bottom of table*]	Higher than average score	Protective factor Good quality teacher-child relationship
	Roughly average score
	Lower than average score	Risk factor Poor quality teacher-child relationship

*Three items for teacher-child relationship:

• How often does your teacher help you when you need help?
• How often do you get along well with your teacher?
• How often do you get into trouble with the teachers at school?

Each answered with:

(1) Never

(2) Sometimes

(3) Often

(4) Always

Total score of 3-12, where higher score indicates better quality teacher-child relationship.

iii. Peer

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
Experience of bullying: Total score on four items [see bottom of table*]	Lower than average score	Protective factor Low experience of bullying
	Roughly average score
	Higher than average score	Risk factor High experience of bullying
How often do you hit, kick or punch other children at you school? How often are you mean to other children at school or call them hurtful names?	Never	Protective factor Child does not bully others (regularly)
	Every few months
	About once a month
	About once a week (to either)	Risk factor Child bullies others (regularly)
	Most days (to either)
How often are your friends nice to you?	Always	Protective factor Friends are often nice to child
	Often
	Sometimes	Risk factor Friends are rarely nice to child
	Never
How many close friends would you say you have?	Three or more	Protective factor Child has multiple friends
	Two
	One	Risk factor Child has few or no friends
	None

*Four items for experience of bullying:

How often do other children pick on you by…

• … calling names or making fun of you in a way you don’t like?
• … leaving you out of games and chats?
• … shoving, pushing, hitting or picking a fight with you?
• Sending emails, text messages or posting something online?

Each answered with:

(1) Never

(2) Every few months

(3) About once a month

(4) About once a week

(5) Most days

Total score of 4-20, where higher score indicates higher experience of bullying.

iv. Area

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How much do you like the area you live in?	A lot	Protective factor Child likes area
	Quite a lot
	A little	Risk factor Child does not like area
	Not at all
Are there other* places near where you live where you can play outdoors? *other than a garden	Yes – lots	Protective factor Some outdoor space to play in area
	Yes – some
	No	Risk factor No outdoor space to play in area

v. Health

Survey question	Response options	Potential “risk factor” or “protective factor”
How is your health in general? Would you say it was…?	Very good	Protective factor Family shares meals at least once a week
	Good
	Fair
	Bad	Risk factor Family rarely or never shares meals
	Very bad
How often do you spend time being active?	Every day	Protective factor Child is physically active at least sometimes
	Most days
	Some days
	Rarely	Risk factor Child is rarely or never physically active
	Never