Understanding Society
@usociety.bsky.social
Longitudinal survey following 40,000 UK households annually. Enormous research opportunities. Based at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/
In case you’re looking for something to read on a Friday afternoon, here’s a round-up of recent papers using our data... Ruijuan Hu, Jason Li Chen, Gang Li, and Yuan Qin found that “...tourism development can improve residents’ quality of life across multiple domains and regions...”
Impacts of tourism development on residents’ quality of life: a dual spillover perspective - Understanding Society
understandingsociety.ac.uk
📍 Save the date- #CPCCGWebinar with Susan Harkness @uob-policystudies.bsky.social Using @usociety.bsky.social, Susan examines non-resident fathers' involvement in their children's lives, focusing on child maintenance, contact & shared care Register www.cpc.ac.uk/activities/e... @bspsuk.bsky.social
In case anyone is new to us and our work, or just wants to know what Understanding Society has been used for recently, here’s a round-up of highlights. @ippr.org used our data in its report The loneliest generation: What it is like to grow up in England today
The loneliest generation: What it is like to grow up in England today | IPPR
A connected society is one in which we care about how others are doing and, in turn, others look out for our wellbeing. It is the state and public services
ippr.org
A new paper by CPC's Athina Vlachantoni and team uses @usociety.bsky.social to assess the importance of ethnicity & gender, alongside other factors, in explaining whether people save for retirement through a private pension or other savings and investments, finding persistent ethnic & gender gaps.
Ethnic and gender gaps in private pension participation in the UK | Journal of Social Policy | Cambridge Core
Ethnic and gender gaps in private pension participation in the UK
cambridge.org
Thank you Chris and @usociety.bsky.social for doing this podcast on our recent work on inter individual variation of DNA methylation in the British population link.springer.com/article/10.1.... This was my first podcast and really enjoyed the experience.
Systematic investigation of interindividual variation of DNA methylation in human whole blood - Genome Biology
Background Interindividual genetic variability is well characterised, but we still lack a complete catalogue of loci displaying variable and stable epigenetic patterns. Results Here, we report a catal...
link.springer.com
Understanding Society@usociety.bsky.social · 2w agoNew podcast season opens with gene research using Understanding Society, with guests Leo Schalkwyk from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex, and @raduzabet.bsky.social, a Reader in AI and Cancer Epigenetics at @qmulfmd.bsky.social
New podcast season opens with gene research using Understanding Society, with guests Leo Schalkwyk from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex, and @raduzabet.bsky.social, a Reader in AI and Cancer Epigenetics at @qmulfmd.bsky.social
Gene research with Understanding Society - Understanding Society
How some genes work differently in different people
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New working paper: Does asking for a stool sample affect survey participation? Evidence from the wave 16 pilot of @usociety.bsky.social @jasmineratcliff.bsky.social @jonburton.bsky.social Meena Kumari www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/research/pub...
New paper: Getting consent to survey in new ways: evidence from experiments about questions by text message in the @usociety.bsky.social Innovation Panel. doi.org/10.1093/jssa... Jim Vine, @annettejackle.bsky.social @jonburton.bsky.social Mick P Couper
I wrote a short post for @ukdsimpact.bsky.social on the politics of survey data thinking about #unpaid #carers and #CarersAllowance. It's based on ongoing work @usociety.bsky.social on economic insecurity among carers past the earnings limit set by the allowance. More here: osf.io/preprints/so...
UK Data Service Impact@ukdsimpact.bsky.social · 3w ago🎉New on the Data Impact blog🎉 Carer's Allowance, economic insecurity, and the politics of data @gmari.bsky.social reflects on how survey data from the UKHLS might shine another light on the economic insecurity felt by unpaid carers. blog.ukdataservice.ac.uk/carers-allow...
New case study out today: the Mental Health Foundation has used our data and found that inequalities are widening, with social and economic disadvantages driving poor mental health
Mental health inequalities widening, says report using our data - Understanding Society
New report says proportion of adults experiencing poor mental health has risen sharply over past two decades Mental Health Foundation report says social and economic disadvantages driving poor mental ...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New blog! @katie-taylor.bsky.social @equalise.bsky.social on using our data and the Millennium Cohort Study to show how teenage mental health and where we grow up affects later participation in education, training and employment
When does being NEET begin? - Understanding Society
With more than a million young people not in education, employment or training, we need to look much earlier in life if we want to prevent this Teenage mental health and where we grow up in affects la...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New blog! @katie-taylor.bsky.social @equalise.bsky.social on using our data and the Millennium Cohort Study to show how teenage mental health and where we grow up affects later participation in education, training and employment
When does being NEET begin? - Understanding Society
With more than a million young people not in education, employment or training, we need to look much earlier in life if we want to prevent this Teenage mental health and where we grow up in affects la...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
Understanding Society Biosocial Conference. Join us for the latest research that combines biological and social data. Find the full programme: understandingsocietyconference.co.uk It's in-person and free to attend, but you need to register in advance. 15 Oct 9.00 - 5.00, London
Understanding Society Biosocial Conference 2026
Join us for the Understanding Society biosocial conference 2026 on health and biomarker data.
understandingsocietyconference.co.uk
New blog: Holly Clarke at the Mohn Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @imperialmed.bsky.social on using a combination of Understanding Society data and workshops with young people to understand paths from education to work, and how they affect health
Understanding why young people become NEET - Understanding Society
A combination of Understanding Society data and workshops with young people with lived experience of being not in education, employment or training helps to understanding being NEET What paths do youn...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
Out this week: our new policy briefing makes five recommendations for governments to extend working lives, and to create a pension system with adequate protection where people can’t work
New briefing calls for fair pension age and longer healthy working lives - Understanding Society
New Understanding Society briefing examines pension policy as population ages New briefing sets out five recommendations for pension system in which longer working lives are realistic for more people,...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
Out this week: our new policy briefing makes five recommendations for governments to extend working lives, and to create a pension system with adequate protection where people can’t work
New briefing calls for fair pension age and longer healthy working lives - Understanding Society
New Understanding Society briefing examines pension policy as population ages New briefing sets out five recommendations for pension system in which longer working lives are realistic for more people,...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New blog: Holly Clarke at the Mohn Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @imperialmed.bsky.social on using a combination of Understanding Society data and workshops with young people to understand paths from education to work, and how they affect health
Understanding why young people become NEET - Understanding Society
A combination of Understanding Society data and workshops with young people with lived experience of being not in education, employment or training helps to understanding being NEET What paths do youn...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
The UK Data Service is one of the richest research resources in the UK so it was a real pleasure to be invited to contribute to their Data Impact blog and talk about networks and systems-stuff within @usociety.bsky.social. Thank you to the @ukdsimpact.bsky.social team
UK Data Service Impact@ukdsimpact.bsky.social · last mo.🎉New on the Data Impact blog🎉 How can network analyses help unpick complex systems of mental ill-health? @emkbridger.bsky.social, @omidvebrahimi.bsky.social and @ludvigdb.bsky.social explore this question in a new Data Impact blog post. blog.ukdataservice.ac.uk/network-anal...
Our data in this report shows that young people have fewer close friends, the number happy with their friends has fallen, their mental health is suffering, and their self-esteem is low. It backs up other findings… 🧵
Institute for Public Policy Research@ippr.org · last mo.⏰ | NEW REPORT: Young people are five times more likely to have no close friends than a decade ago. Gen Z are more isolated, more distressed and less productive. This isn’t a generation of snowflakes. It’s a generation being let down. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/the...
Our data in this report shows that young people have fewer close friends, the number happy with their friends has fallen, their mental health is suffering, and their self-esteem is low. It backs up other findings… 🧵
Institute for Public Policy Research@ippr.org · last mo.⏰ | NEW REPORT: Young people are five times more likely to have no close friends than a decade ago. Gen Z are more isolated, more distressed and less productive. This isn’t a generation of snowflakes. It’s a generation being let down. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/the...
What can longitudinal data reveal? Our new short course on longitudinal analysis for policy development introduces the value of longitudinal data and the types of questions it can help answer. Free and online, 21 Oct, 9.30 - 12.30. Sign up here: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/events/longi...
Great to see one of the winning dissertations in the @ukdataservice.bsky.social Dissertation Award uses data from Understanding Society! Congratulations to all the winners!
UK Data Service@ukdataservice.bsky.social · 2mo ago🏆 We’re pleased to announce that three dissertations have been selected as winners of this year’s UK Data Service Dissertation Award! You can read more about the winning dissertations at our website: ukdataservice.ac.uk/2026/08/11/w...
Save the date! It's early, but we're planning our 2027 Scientific Conference. Next year we're moving it from the heat of July to the (hopefully less hot) September, so keep the dates 13-16 September 2027 free if you'd like to join us. The call for abstracts will open later this year...
Consultation on Life Events survey questions. We're looking for feedback on the proposed questions on family changes. There's more information on our website: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/news/2026/07...
Consultation on Life Events survey questions - Understanding Society
We're seeking feedback on our suggested questions on family changes to be included in the Life Events survey.
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New podcast: what effect do food banks have on the mental health of the people who use them? With Muhammad Waqas Assistant Professor in Economics @uniofbradford.bsky.social and @helenbarnard.bsky.social Director of Policy, Research and Impact @trusselluk.bsky.social
Food banks and mental health - Understanding Society
Podcast: research asks what effect food banks have on the mental health of people who use them
understandingsociety.ac.uk
New case study: End Furniture Poverty charity report using our data says around six million people live without at least one essential furniture item “needed for a safe, dignified and healthy home”
Millions live in furniture poverty - Understanding Society
Charity says people live “without furniture and appliances needed for safe, healthy home” End Furniture Poverty used Understanding Society data and found around six million people live without at leas...
understandingsociety.ac.uk
Seminar: Family influences on children's mental health and wellbeing. Hear some of the latest research on how family environments shape children's socio-emotional development and mental health. Online, 30 Sept, 1.00 - 2.00. Book your place: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/events/267593/
This is a fantastic resource; establishing it was an inspired move, keeping it on the road should be a priority.
Understanding Society@usociety.bsky.social · 3mo agoOur latest annual report is out today—all the highlights of 2025, including Wave 15 of our main survey, W17 of the Innovation Panel, increased research use, growing influence on government policy, and a very productive scientific conference…
Our latest annual report is out today—all the highlights of 2025, including Wave 15 of our main survey, W17 of the Innovation Panel, increased research use, growing influence on government policy, and a very productive scientific conference…
Understanding Society Annual Report 2025 - Understanding Society
Find out what Understanding Society did during 2025, plus read some of the research and policy impact from the year
understandingsociety.ac.uk
Seminar: Family influences on children's mental health and wellbeing. Hear some of the latest research on how family environments shape children's socio-emotional development and mental health. Online, 30 Sept, 1.00 - 2.00. Book your place: www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/events/267593/