28 February 2011

The first findings of Understanding Society have been published, covering a wide range of areas of people's lives and experiences. Understanding Society, which will follow 40,000 UK households, is a major social science investment in longitudinal studies with potentially huge long-term implications for the understanding of the UK in the early 21st century.

These first findings include a wealth of information across a wide range of topics, from family life, employment during the recession to young people's attitudes to climate change. We learn how bullying often begins at home and how certain social groups are excluded from some types of social participation; who gets the best night's sleep and how where you live can affect you life chances.

Understanding Society builds on the achievement of the highly successful British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) which is heavily used by government departments and by researchers within and outside the UK. It has been accessed by more than 2,000 users and generates more than 150 publications per year.

The ambitions of Understanding Society go well beyond what has been achieved with the BHPS to support a much wider range of research. It is an important addition to the UK's rich portfolio of longitudinal studies and continues the UK’s contribution to an international network of household panel studies.

Understanding Society - summary of first findings (PDF, 675Kb) Press release 4/3/11: The better off sleep better Press release 3/3/11: The UK maintains a positive outlook, despite the recession Press release 2/3/11: UK youth are happy after all? Press release 28/2/11: The first steps to Understanding Society Press release 28/2/11: The UK’s largest household longitudinal study launches its early findings For a full overview of early findings see the Understanding Society website

Press coverage

• This is Devon: Lack of sleep is a real nightmare for many people (15 March 2011)
• India Report: Men suffer the Most from partner's snoring (6 March 2011)
• BBC: One in 10 take medication for a good night's sleep (4 March 2011)
• The Times: Restless Britain: 1 in 10 is taking pills to get some sleep (4 March 2011, subscribers only)
• The Daily Mail: Sleepless Britain: One in ten Brits rely on pills to doze off at night (4 March 2011)
• The Telegraph: One in ten Britons 'taking pills to get to sleep'
• The Telegraph: Happiness is...living and eating with your parents (28 February 2011)
• The China Post: Young, married, childless UK couples have happiest relationships (28 February 2011)
• The New York Times: Young, Married, Childless UK couples Seen Happiest (28 February 2011)
• The Daily Mail: Wives are the first to tire of marriage after husbands stop being romantic (28 February 2011)
• BBC Radio 4: Today programme - Professor Nick Buck's interview on the Today Programme about Understanding Society early findings (28 February 2011 - BBC iPlayer, 49 minutes in)
• BBC Radio 4: Thought for the Day - Reverend Dr David Wilkinson on the Understanding Society early findings (28 February 2011)
• The Daily Mail: Having parents split up 'worse for a child's happiness than not having money' (27 February 2011)
• The Observer: Married for less than five years, young, childless: survey finds that's happiness (27 February 2011)