The statistics themselves can make for depressing reading. Recent UNICEF figures place the UK 21st out of 36 other well-off countries when it comes to child wellbeing, while nations including France, Spain and Portugal ranked near the top. Denmark and Netherlands took the two top spots of countries whose kids enjoyed the greatest wellbeing.
19th May 2025
In terms of youth mental health, the UK came 27th out of 36 countries studied, with Britain’s teens tying with Chile in second-to-last place for life satisfaction – only Turkey scored lower. What’s more, the figures found far more girls here reported unhappiness. (That measure dropped from 64% (2018) to 62% in 2022.)
Chief executive of the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF Dr Philip Goodwin told journalists: “These figures give an insight into just how much children are struggling. Our teenagers report some of the lowest life satisfaction levels, which must be a wake-up call for the government. Action to tackle these issues is not coming fast enough.”
At the same time, nearly a third (30%) were overweight, above the rich-country average of 28%.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2023, NHS England estimated one in four of all 17 to 19-year-olds had a probable mental health disorder – the figure for just six years previously was one in 10. So, perhaps unsurprisingly, there are long waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
Among other problems identified in the UNICEF report were frequent bullying rates, which ‘remain high’ here. More than a quarter (27%) of 15-year-olds said they were regularly bullied.
Additionally, a study from Manchester University, whose results were released earlier this year, reveal the extent of the negative impact of bullying on teenagers’ mental health, and boys’ wellbeing in particular. At the same time, it highlighted the need for more effective prevention strategies in schools.
Links have been made with the youth mental health crisis and insecure employment, the climate crisis and social media. And, clearly, good mental health in young people is essential for building lasting relationships, effective communication and to adapt well to change.
The Government says it is putting an additional £680m into mental health services this year and will recruit 8,500 more mental health workers and have mental health support in all schools. It adds that it is tackling obesity by banning new fast-food outlets near schools and cracking down on junk food advertising.
Of course, the link between good mental health in teenagers and physical activity is obvious and well documented. Many of us appreciate that working out boosts energy, brings stress and anxiety levels down and improves sleep, concentration and focus and mood, especially in anyone with mild or moderate depression. An Asics study have also found a direct link between exercising as a teenager and better mental wellbeing as an adult.
At Fresh Air Fitness, the leading, award-winning UK provider of open-air gym equipment, we’ve written previously about the benefits of sport and physical activity in transforming young futures, and how working out in an outdoor gym is cost-effective. It’s free at the point of use, plus you can use one near you and so avoid travel costs. Equally, you can wear whatever you like. Essentially, you avoid the culture of feeling that you are being looked at and judged that can prevail in some indoor facilities. (Which, furthermore, you pay to use.)
The Government recommends that, up to the age of 18, young people should aim for an average of at least an hour of moderate or vigorous-intensity physical activity a day, spread out across the week.
In secondary schools, there are myriad benefits to meeting these kind of targets via outdoor gyms. And, at Fresh Air Fitness, we’ve been creating exercise equipment for secondary schools for more than a decade. Our pieces suit all levels of ability, including pupils with special educational needs, and provide a full-body workout.
We’ll be with you from site inspection through to post-installation care and can swiftly fit your gym pieces, all of which come with a 25-year warranty. Check out our multi-user equipment like our Big Rig, which can take 16 users at once and offers 80 different exercise options.
If you have any questions about how our outdoor gym equipment could benefit your secondary school just get in touchwith us.
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