National Wellbeing Survey
BackWhat Is The SHRN Student Health And Well-Being Survey?
Every two years, learners attending secondary schools across Wales take part in a national survey on young people’s health and well-being. The survey is developed by The School Health Research Network (SHRN) at Cardiff University, in partnership with Welsh Government and Public Health Wales. The survey is carried out by Ipsos on behalf of SHRN.
The survey covers a range of health and well-being topics including diet and nutrition, physical activity, mental health, smoking, alcohol and drugs, school life and relationships. This wide approach fits well with the Welsh Government’s Whole School Approach for supporting mental and emotional health, which looks at all parts of school life to help learners feel well and supported.
At the end of the survey, learners are invited to give permission for their answers to be used to support data linkage research.
What Is Data Linkage Research?
Data linkage research connects your child’s survey answers with other data already held about them by trusted organisations like the NHS and Welsh Government. This might include hospital appointments, GP appointments and GCSE results.
Before any data is linked, it is anonymised—this means no one can identify any individual from the data.
This type of research helps us understand more about young people’s health and well-being in Wales. For example, we can explore how experiences like bullying relate to GP visits or exam results. The findings help schools and policymakers improve support for young people.
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