A new survey of 2,500 young people gives a clear picture of the impact COVID-19 is having on young people across Scotland.

LockdownLowdown, commissioned by Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot, found that young people are worrying most about education, mental wellbeing, and financial support during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The findings of #LockdownLowdown are being shared with stakeholders including the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, COSLA, Local Authorities and others, who can use the insights to feed directly into policy design and service provision in response to the pandemic.

Key findings:

Around half of respondents stated they are moderately or extremely concerned about exams and coursework.
Two-fifths of respondents stated they are moderately or extremely concerned about their mental wellbeing. 
Two-thirds of respondents stated that they are moderately or extremely concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on their future. 
Two-fifths of respondents aren’t confident about accessing the information on mental health, and over half don’t know where to access information on financial support.
Respondents stated that decision-makers should improve the impact on education and make restrictions even stricter.

Following on from the initial survey, young people will be encouraged to keep submitting their concerns on a weekly survey on social media. This will help to track the key issues. We will use this insight and tailor our digital information to ensure that young people have all the information they need. This information will also be used by youth workers to support their work, and by Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament to inform their advocacy activities.

We would be delighted to hear what you think about #LockdownLowdown! Tweet using #LockdownLowdown and tagging @OfficialSYP @YouthLinkScot @YoungScot.

Please also follow #LockdownLowdown for further information on young people’s worries about COVID-19.

Download LOCKDOWNLOWDOWN REPORT