Young Lives takes part in Global Climate Summit, recognition at Oxford's Vice Chancellor's Awards, our new publications, and more...
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Young Lives Newsletter
June 2025
Young Lives at Global Climate Summit
We were proud to launch our new Research Hub on Climate Change and Environmental Shocks on Friday 6 June, as part of the University of Oxford's three-day Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, hosted in partnership with UN Human Rights and the International Universities Climate Alliance.
The Hub will link Young Lives' incredible longitudinal cohort data set with climate and environmental data to deliver ground-breaking new research on how life-course exposure to climate shocks impact young people’s development and well-being in the Global South – strengthening the evidence base for informed policy-making. Our ambition is to: i) drive climate justice through locally grounded, data-driven insights; ii) inform climate adaptation strategies & SDG-related policies; and iii) build capacity and empower the next generations of researchers in the Global South.
Later the same day, Young Lives photographs were spectacularly displayed on the ceiling of Oxford's beautiful Pitt Rivers museum, as part of RHRN's late night event. The photographs were selected to tell the stories of how climate shocks impact the lives of young people in the Global South. View the exhibition on our website.
Young Lives Highly Commended in Vice Chancellors Awards
Out of 160 entries across 11 categories and 1,300 individuals, we’re thrilled that Young Lives was Highly Commended at the University of Oxford 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Engagement! Young Lives' award is for impact in shaping policy — particularly our role in influencing Peru’s Right to Education Bill and legislation to end child marriage.
BLOG: In Oxfam’s From Poverty to Power.
Peru recently banned child marriage — how did longitudinal research help make that happen? In a blog, first published on Oxfam's From Poverty to Power, Young Lives' Kath Ford explains what it takes to persuade policy makers to make real progressive change. In a compelling read, Kath sets out how a combination of robust longitudinal data, translating research into policy influencing, and relationships built painstakingly over many years was key to success.
Young Lives evidence informs new World Health Organization Guidance on Mental Health Policy
Young Lives longitudinal evidence has directly informed the new WHO Guidance on Mental Health Policy and Strategic Action Plans launched in March 2025.
We are particularly delighted to see that these new global guidelines embody a holistic, life-course perspective, addressing the social and structural determinants that contribute to poor mental health. The guidelines reflect numerous key policy messages from Young Lives findings shared as part of the WHO Expert Technical Committee, attended by Kath Ford, Young Lives Deputy Director.
This is an exceptional resource with the potential to support transformational change in mental health action around the world — setting out comprehensive recommendations for strategic action to help shift predominantly biomedical approaches to mental health towards a person-centred, recovery-orientated and rights-based approach.
New research, articles and policy briefs
Young Lives has been measuring young people's mental health since the pandemic. In our latest report, drawing on data from Round 6, Round 7 and qualitative interviews, the authors find that young people's mental health has not recovered since the pandemic.
In India and Peru, levels of anxiety and depression have remained similar to those reported during the pandemic. In Ethiopia, participants’ mental health has been deteriorating, most likely due to the ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara and Tigray regions where we found the highest levels of anxiety, stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The report also features lived experience accounts from two young Peruvian women who share their deeply personal experiences of mental health challenges.
In the first of two new Policy Briefs, the authors show how unpaid care work continues to hold back women and girls in low- and middle-income countries, and put forward ways that policy and practice can help lighten the load.
The second new Policy Brief, Building Fairer Futures offers key policy recommendations to build a fairer, more resilient future that protects vulnerable women and girls, and enables women to benefit from the opportunities of the climate transition.
Young Lives evidence on how child poverty has changed over the last two decades in Peru is featured in the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty’s new report What Works to Reduce Child Poverty?, authored in collaboration with UNICEF and Save the Children International, among others. The report was launched via webinar on 21 May, including a presentation by Kath Ford, (with thanks to Alan Sanchez and Santiago Cueto who also contributed to the Peru case study).
Journal articles
Factors Affecting Anxiety Amongst Youth: Evidence from Young Lives Longitudinal Study in India
India Country Director Dr Renu Singh and Divya Juneja use Young Lives data to examine the effects of the pandemic on our older cohort's (age 26) levels of anxiety, highlighting the disproportionate impacts on young women and rural youth. The report recommends more investment in mental health care, improving food and social support systems, and making sure mental health care is available in local health centres and communities — especially during future crises.
Round 7 Findings Launched in India States
Following Young Lives India’s launch of the Round 7 headline findings in Delhi, the team disseminated State factsheets in our survey regions, Andra Pradesh (Guntur) and Telangana (Hyderabad).
On 23 May, the Andhra Pradesh State factsheets were launched by Smt. A Surya Kumari, IAS, Secretary, Department of Women, Children, Differently Abled, and Senior Citizens, Government of Andhra Pradesh at the Acharya Nagarjuna University. Ms Surya Kumari congratulated the Young Lives Team for following the two cohorts for over two decades and providing policy relevant findings to policy makers.
The Telangana State factsheets were launched on 30 May by Dr D Anasuya Seethakka, Hon'ble Minister, Government of Telangana at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) Hyderabad. Dr Seethakka said, Research like Young Lives is crucial for the govt. to design better policies and allocate appropriate budgets to address important social issues.
Ethiopia Round 7 Dissemination Workshop
Following up from their successful media launch of Round 7's findings, the Ethiopia team held a very well attended launch event in Addis Ababa — with over 90 attendees — event, spotlighting key findings relating to young people's education, health and work.
Team news
Finally, we are saying a fond farewell to our Head of Communications, Julia Tilford, who is leaving Young Lives this June. We would like to thank Julia for all her dedication and hard work in contributing to Young Lives’ success over the past six years and wish her all the very best for the future. We are delighted that Penny Rudling, Young Lives Communications Officer has been appointed Acting Head of Communications.
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If you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact Young Lives Acting Head of Communications, Penny Rudling at penny.rudling@qeh.ox.ac.uk
