Research reports

Identity, belonging and community

Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People in 2017

LGBT Youth Scotland · 2017

This report presents findings from a 2017 survey of 684 LGBT young people aged 13–25 living in Scotland, exploring their experiences across education, health, housing, employment and community life. Key findings include that 84% of LGBT young people (and 96% of transgender young people) reported experiencing mental health problems, 71% experienced bullying in school on the grounds of being LGBT, and fewer than a third felt confident reporting a hate crime to the police. While perceptions of Scotland as a good place to live for LGBT people have improved since 2007, happiness levels have declined since 2012, particularly among transgender young people.

SurveyMixed methodsScotland

Mental health and wellbeing

LockdownLowdown: what young people in Scotland are thinking about COVID-19 (phase 1)

Scottish Youth Parliament / YouthLink Scotland / Young Scot · 2020

This survey of 2,421 young people across Scotland captured their concerns about COVID-19 during the first national lockdown in April 2020. Key findings show that nearly two-thirds were moderately or extremely concerned about the impact of coronavirus on their future, and around two-fifths were concerned about their own mental wellbeing. Young people reported least confidence in accessing information about mental health support and financial support, and over half expressed concern about their ability to access their rights. The findings were shared with stakeholders to feed into policy design and service provision.

SurveyScotland

Mental health and wellbeing

LockdownLowdown: long-term impacts of COVID-19 on young people in Scotland

Young Scot / Scottish Youth Parliament / YouthLink Scotland · 2020

This report presents findings from the second #LockdownLowdown survey, conducted in autumn 2020 with over 6,000 young people across Scotland, exploring the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Key findings show that while most young people had returned to in-person learning, significant concerns remained around exam uncertainty, online learning difficulties, and falling behind. Mental health emerged as a major issue, with nearly two-fifths of respondents reporting poor mental wellbeing, alongside worries about employment prospects, relationships, and access to clear and trusted information about restrictions.

SurveyFocus groupScotland

Employment, skills and economic security

Essential and Transformational: Investigating the Future of Voluntary Sector Youth Work in Scotland

YouthLink Scotland / University of Edinburgh / Scottish Youth Work Research Steering Group · 2025

This Scottish study explored two questions: what are the future challenges for voluntary sector youth work, and how is youth work understood, recognised and valued across different professional sectors? Using participatory and focus group methods with four youth work organisations and 18 stakeholders, the research found that short-term and competitive funding is the most significant challenge, directly undermining the trust-based relationships central to youth work. The report also found that youth work is frequently not recognised as a professional service by other sectors, with youth workers feeling undervalued and excluded from multi-agency decision-making, despite growing expectations placed on them to support young people's increasingly complex mental health and wellbeing needs.

Focus groupParticipatoryScotland

Care experience and family

Impact of COVID-19 on Care Experienced People

Who Cares? Scotland · 2020

This report by Who Cares? Scotland presents a second wave of analysis of how the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures impacted care-experienced people in Scotland between March and May 2020. Drawing on data from a helpline, advocacy cases, and participation activities, the report finds that care-experienced people faced compounding challenges including financial hardship and destitution, deteriorating mental health, digital exclusion, disrupted care placements, and reduced professional support. The report makes concrete calls to action to the Scottish Government across five thematic areas: poverty, health and wellbeing, information and participation, provision of care, and support.

OtherCase studyScotland

Gender and sexuality

The State of Girls' Rights in the UK 2019-2020

Plan International UK · 2020

This comprehensive UK-wide report examines girls' rights across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, drawing on participatory research with girls aged 10–25 alongside practitioner interviews, surveys, a human rights review, and a local authority index. Girls report persistent experiences of sexual harassment, gender inequality in schools, rising mental health pressures, racism, and lack of representation in public life. The report finds substantial regional variation in girls' rights outcomes, with Blackpool ranked lowest and Orkney Islands highest, and calls on government to tackle structural barriers, invest in girls' services, and ensure no girls are left behind.

Focus groupInterviewUK-wide

Mental health and wellbeing

Truth About Youth: our 2025 insights survey

Young Scot · 2025

Young Scot surveyed 2,590 young people aged 11–25 across Scotland between September 2024 and January 2025 on a wide range of issues including wellbeing, safety, health, climate change, cyber crime, and children's rights. Most respondents could identify something to look forward to, but 43% said their mental health had worsened since 2019, and only 16% felt that policy and decision makers understood the issues facing young people. The most pressing concerns were lack of affordable housing, poverty, racism and prejudice, and the climate emergency, with education identified as the most important issue for young people in Scotland right now.

SurveyScotland

Health and physical wellbeing

Health Report 2023

LGBT Youth Scotland · 2023

This report examines LGBTQ+ young people's experiences of health services in Scotland, drawing on qualitative responses from 1,279 participants in the Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People 2022 survey. Key findings show that young people face significant barriers to healthcare including long waiting lists (particularly for gender identity services), staff lacking understanding of LGBTQ+ identities, experiences of discrimination and misgendering, and difficulties disclosing their identity safely. The report makes concrete recommendations for NHS Boards and the Scottish Government on improving LGBTQ+ inclusivity in mental health, sexual health, and gender identity services.

SurveySecondary analysisScotland

Mental health and wellbeing

LockdownLowdown phase 3

Scottish Youth Parliament / YouthLink Scotland / Young Scot · 2021

This third #LockdownLowdown survey gathered responses from over 2,400 young people across Scotland in Spring 2021 to understand the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown restrictions began to ease. Key findings show that most secondary school pupils were unhappy with their assessment arrangements, mental health and wellbeing remained a significant concern for many young people, and confidence in future employment was mixed. Young people consistently called for more mental health support, careers advice in schools, and a return to in-person learning and socialising.

SurveyScotland

Mental health and wellbeing

Young Scot BIG Survey 2023-24

Young Scot · 2025

Young Scot's first BIG Survey gathered views from 2,014 young people aged 11–25 across Scotland between September 2023 and January 2024. The survey found that while young people felt broadly positive about family and friends, only 18% felt great about how things were going in Scotland, and 62% felt negative about the world. Mental health was the top concern for personal health (35%), with 47% reporting their mental health had worsened since 2019; other key findings covered digital and AI use, awareness of rights under the UNCRC, and financial pressures including 74% always looking to cut costs.

SurveyScotland

Gender and sexuality

The State of Girls' Rights in the UK 2024

Plan International UK · 2024

This report by Plan International UK presents findings from a survey of nearly 3,000 girls and young women aged 12–21 across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, alongside creative workshops and a composite local authority index. It finds that while most girls report some happiness, wellbeing, safety, and trust in institutions decline sharply as girls get older, with only 5% feeling completely safe in public spaces and just 16% trusting politicians. Girls from marginalised communities — including LGBTQ+ girls, girls of colour, and those with disabilities — consistently face worse outcomes across all areas examined, including safety, mental health, education, and cost of living.

Co-producedSurveyFocus groupUK-wide

Identity, belonging and community

The Power of Youth Work: A Longitudinal Biographical Study

YouthLink Scotland / No Knives Better Lives / University of Edinburgh CRFR / Dr Emma Davidson · 2024

This Scottish study explored how youth work impacts young people over time, using biographical interviews with adults who had engaged in youth work during their youth. Findings revealed that youth work provided crucial safe spaces, belonging, and trusted relationships during complex and challenging life transitions. Youth workers helped young people navigate adversity — including mental health challenges, family breakdown, and poverty — and opened pathways to education and employment. The study concludes that sustained funding and long-term research are needed to capture and support the social and relational value of youth work.

InterviewLongitudinalScotland

Results