Work

Adolescent health and not in education, employment or training (NEET) in young adulthood: Evidence from a UK prospective longitudinal study

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Background High rates of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) are a major societal concern in the UK. Whilst other studies have highlighted that adolescent health can predict NEET status in young adulthood, robust and recent longitudinal evidence remains limited. Methods This study used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a longitudinal study of people born in the UK in the early 2000s, to examine associations between adolescent mental health difficulties and childhood neurodevelopmental conditions, indicators of physical health and health behaviours and NEET status in early adulthood (median age: 23). NEET status was derived from participant reports of economic and education activity. Co-occurrence of exposures was also considered, and population attributable fractions were calculated to account for differences in exposure prevalence. Results Among 8,135 young people, 12.1% were NEET at age 23. Estimates adjusted for demographic factors indicated that multiple health exposures increased risk of being NEET at age 23, with larger associations observed with most mental health difficulties and childhood neurodevelopmental conditions compared to physical health and health behaviour exposures. For instance, a longstanding mental health condition more than doubled the risk of being NEET (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.74, 2.65), while autism (aRR = 2.94, 95% CI = 2.31, 3.74) and ADHD (aRR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.11, 3.56) almost tripled the risk. Reports of greater number of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties by adolescence were associated with greater risk of being NEET in young adulthood. Obesity predicted being NEET at age 23 (aRR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.83) and obesity accompanied by a mental health or neurodevelopmental difficulty further increased risk (aRR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.47, 2.58). Conclusions Findings indicate that health exposures by adolescence, especially mental and neurodevelopmental difficulties, are strongly associated with being NEET in early adulthood.

Source: medRxiv

DOI: 10.64898/2026.08.13.26360381

Authors: Dominic P. Kelly, Jacques Wels, Praveetha Patalay

Institutions: University College London, Université Libre de Bruxelles, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing

Language: English

Topic: Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green