Student perceptions of people and places in their school that are influential for mental health and emotional wellbeing, and implications for wellbeing policies in Wales

Brown, Rachel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4475-1733, Lennon, Jessica, Donaldson, Caitlyn, Anthony, Rebecca ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9503-9562, Rowe, Abbey and Moore, Graham ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6136-3978 2026. Student perceptions of people and places in their school that are influential for mental health and emotional wellbeing, and implications for wellbeing policies in Wales. Wellbeing, Space and Society 10 , 100333. 10.1016/j.wss.2025.100333

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (3MB)

Abstract

There have been reported increases in mental health challenges among young people in the UK, including since the Covid-19 pandemic. There is increasing interest in the role of school environment as both a potential contributing factor to these challenges and as a site for intervention. In Wales, this is embodied in 2021 government legislation which mandates schools to take a whole school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing. This research interviewed pupils in a range of school sites across Wales to discuss aspects of the social and physical environment in school that are perceived as more and less conducive to mental wellbeing. Twelve case study schools were recruited as part of a wider evaluation of the whole school approach in Wales and, within these, twenty-two group interviews took place with pupils of both primary and secondary age. This involved discussion of people and places in the school environment and a draw-write task. Findings highlighted differences between age groups on which adults in school were considered as key in supporting mental wellbeing, although all age groups reflected similarly on the qualities of supportive adults and on the role of peers. There were also overlaps in terms of spaces in school that were most challenging, with noise, crowding and lack of supervision key. Findings suggest that approaches aimed at tackling multiple aspects of both the social and physical school environment may be supportive of positive mental wellbeing, however not all of these aspects are equally amenable to change or under school control.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education) Research Institutes & Centres > Centre For Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer)
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2666-5581
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 January 2026
Date of Acceptance:	9 December 2025
Last Modified:	07 Jan 2026 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183626

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item