Wellbeing The scores for this theme are the same as last year, No change sustaining the improvement between 2022 and 2023. The Wellbeing score combines two However, there are higher levels For the first time, applicant wellbeing different sets of questions to take of shame among the applicant scores using the ONS standard a snapshot of the mental wellbeing population this year. Male and non- measures have returned approximately 63of the cohort. binary applicants have higher levels to pre-pandemic levels, as shown of shame than female applicants. in Figure 10. Scores in each of the LGBTQ+ applicants are more likely questions have increased meaningfully, to feel ashamed, as are care leavers. beyond the margin of error. However, Additionally, more than half of this encouraging finding has been applicants who are ethnically Chinese strongly affected by the increasing (58%) feel ashamed – the overwhelming proportion of international applicants in Figure 9: Breakdown of responses to Wellbeing theme ques琀椀ons majority of these are international the sample over recent years, reflecting I feel loved students from China. their growth within the student The Office for National Statistics (ONS) population. International applicants 5% 7% 17% 25% 45% Standard Wellbeing Measures use a score more positively on each of the 0-10 scale to assess the level of self- four indicators, and when comparing reported life satisfaction, feeling that life results for UK applicants the scores are *I feel ashamed is worthwhile, happiness and anxiety still somewhat lower than they were five across the population. Results are years ago - see Figure 11. 29% 21% 19% 16% 15% reported in terms of the percentage of the population that reports the highest levels (score of 9 or 10) in the first three *I feel rejected by others questions, and the lowest levels (0 or 1) of anxiety. 25% 20% 20% 18% 17% I feel capable of making decisions 4% 7% 16% 29% 44% Strongly disagree Moderately disagree Neutral Moderately agree Strongly agree *For this question, agreement indicates a negative response; the score for this question was reversed when calculating the index score Unite Students | Applicant Index Report 23