Around half a million children in the UK in the 8 to 15 age range have a low sense of well-being at any one time, according to a major research study by The Children's Society, The Good Childhood Report 2012. The researchers find that low well-being increases dramatically with age – doubling from the age of 10 (7 per cent) to the age of 15 (14 per cent). Children reporting overall low levels of happiness are affected in many ways: they are much less likely to enjoy being at home with their family, to feel safe when with their friends, to like the way they look or to feel positive about their future. The study, which is based on interviews carried out from 2008 to 2011 with more than 30,000 children, also found that material wealth was an important factor in a child’s happiness. Children as young as eight are aware of the financial issues their families face and those in families who have experienced a reduction in income are more likely to have low well-being.

View the full report on The Children’s Society website.