The stresses young people In Ireland face as they move into adulthood are to be assessed as part of the second phase of the Growing Up in Ireland study, which has just been launched.

Growing Up in Ireland: The National Longitudinal Study of Children has been monitoring the development of nearly 20,000 children since 2007 - over 11,000 nine-month-olds and more than 8,500 nine-year-olds.

This has yielded a vast amount of information on a wide range of topics, including bullying, the effects of economic vulnerability on children, breastfeeding, obesity and special educational needs.

This second phase of the study will cover the period 2015-2019 and will look at young people aged nine, 17 and 20 years.

Topics that will be covered include the stresses facing young people today, sexuality and sexual behaviour, risky behaviours such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs, and the extent to which the education system has prepared these young people for adult life.

According to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr James Reilly, this study is ‘one of the most important strategic investments in data and research ever undertaken on children's lives in an Irish context'.

"The data available in this study provides an important source of information to improve our understanding of children's lives and establishes a strong and growing evidence base to support effective future policy," he commented.

Meanwhile, according to the study's principal investigator, Prof James Williams of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), this new phase is ‘an extremely exciting development for all researchers, policymakers and practitioners with an interest in childhood and adolescence'.

"The first phase of the study contributed enormously to our understanding of children and young teenagers in Ireland. Its extension to 2019 will enhance that understanding and assist policymakers and practitioners in providing the supports, advice and interventions necessary for young people and their families," he said.

He added that the results from this study are relevant ‘to almost all government departments and support agencies which are involved with children and young people'.

For more information on the study, click here