A longitudinal lifecourse analysis assessing the implication of educational attainment and gender on mental health and well being by the time a person

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Mental health is a serious health problem facing society and health systems within the UK. It is an important health outcome in its own right but also is a known risk factor for poor physical health and well being including heart disease, stroke, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and Type II Diabetes. However, mental wellbeing remains less researched and understood than physical health problems. This research looks at how a person's early life chances can affect their mental health between the ages of 42 and 46 (mid-life) specifically looking at differences in mental health depending on a person's gender and level of education. The work aims to elucidate the pathways through which educational attainment can affect mental wellbeing. It will look at mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety and will draw from a range of different disciplines including literature from demography, geography, sociology, education, health and psychology. This research will analyse data from the British Cohort Study conducted in 2012 and the sweep currently being conducted (2016/2017). In particular it will look at the data based on a cognitive assessment, a 45-minute interview and analyse if a person's educational attainment as well as a person's gender has any implication on the level and type of mental health issues they might develop. This research is currently highly topical because both the Department for Work and Pensions and NHS have ambitions to reduce inequalities in mental health across the lifecourse.