School experience plays a critical role in teen mental health, new Growing Up in New Zealand findings show

The Now We Are Fifteen Education and Mental Health and Wellbeing snapshot reports, released today, show that 15-year-olds who feel satisfied with school and confident coping with everyday school demands report better mental wellbeing, lower anxiety and depression, and more positive peer relationships. In contrast, young people who experience discrimination at school are more likely to struggle both academically and emotionally.

The reports draw on data from more than 4000 participants who are part of this country’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing, led by the University of Auckland. The study provides a new window into how young people are navigating mid-adolescence.

“School isn’t just a place where young people learn, it’s an environment that plays an important role in shaping their wellbeing,” said Growing Up in New Zealand Research Director Professor Sarah-Jane Paine.

“Teenagers spend a large part of their lives at school, so it’s not surprising that school experiences matter for mental health. What’s powerful about these findings is that feeling supported, able to cope, and treated fairly is closely linked to wellbeing. That tells us school environments are an important lever for adolescent mental health.”

Professor Paine said the findings are not about adding to schools’ already full workloads or placing responsibility solely on educators.

“This research shows that schools are integral to young people’s wellbeing, and recognising that means ensuring they are properly supported and resourced to create environments where young people can thrive.”
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Key findings include:

• School experience and mental health are closely linked.
  Young people with higher school satisfaction and higher academic buoyancy (confidence in handling school demands) reported better mental wellbeing, lower anxiety and depression, and stronger peer relationships.
• Discrimination undermines both learning and wellbeing.
  Young people who experienced discrimination were less likely to feel satisfied with school (34% compared with 44%) and reported lower academic buoyancy (3.9 compared with 4.5). Experiencing discrimination was also associated with poorer mental wellbeing and higher anxiety and depression, with most discrimination reported as occurring at school.
• Disabled young people face additional barriers.
  Only 26% of disabled young people reported high school satisfaction, compared with 43% of those without a disability. Disabled young people also reported lower academic buoyancy, higher levels of discrimination (34% compared with 17%), poorer mental wellbeing, and less positive peer relationships.
• Connection matters.
  Strong friendships, feeling connected to culture, and feeling supported at school were all linked to better wellbeing and more positive school experiences. Young people with higher cultural connectedness were more likely to feel satisfied with school and better able to cope with school demands.
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The reports also highlight that while most young people have high hopes for their future, with tertiary education the most common aspiration, many feel pressure about exams, NCEA, and what comes next.

Professor Paine said the findings show that young people’s mental health and learning environments cannot be viewed in isolation.

“How young people feel at school influences their wellbeing, and their wellbeing in turn affects how they cope with learning. Supporting young people means looking beyond academic achievement alone and recognising that wellbeing, inclusion, connection, and learning are deeply intertwined.”

“Creating positive school environments and addressing discrimination are not ‘nice to haves’, they are practical, evidence-based steps that are central to helping young people thrive. Doing this well requires sustained support for schools, alongside coordinated action across education, health, and community services.”
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The reports point to opportunities for action across education, health, and community settings:

• Create positive school environments that build school satisfaction and academic buoyancy, recognising these as foundations for mental wellbeing.
• Strengthen anti-discrimination policies and school-level responses, including monitoring and practical support for students who experience unfair treatment.
• Invest in inclusive education, with tailored learning supports and protections from discrimination, including co-design with disabled young people and their families.
• Support cultural connection through culturally sustaining teaching and curricula, visibility of language and identity, and stronger partnerships with whānau and communities.
• Expand wellbeing and career guidance in senior secondary school to help young people navigate academic pressure and future pathways.
• Take a whole-system approach to adolescent mental health, combining universal supports with targeted responses that recognise different stressors and experiences.

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For more information, please contact

Saraid Black
Communications Manager, Growing Up in New Zealand
Saraid.black@auckland.ac.nz or 0274 732211