A major Australian study has found student wellbeing declines sharply after children move from primary school to secondary school, with the effects lasting for more than two years in some cases.
Researchers from University of Adelaide tracked more than 20,000 South Australian students during their transition to high school and found declines across every measured wellbeing category, including happiness, optimism, perseverance, emotional regulation, life satisfaction and cognitive engagement.
The research also found increases in sadness and worry after students entered secondary school.
Published in the Child Psychology and Psychiatry journal Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the study analysed more than 104,000 wellbeing records collected between 2019 and 2025 through the South Australian Well-being and Engagement Collection census.
Researchers said female students and those living in remote areas experienced larger declines compared to male students and children living in metropolitan areas.
Lead researcher and PhD candidate at University of Adelaide Mason Zhou said the findings challenge assumptions that lower wellbeing during adolescence is simply part of growing up.
“People often assume that declines in wellbeing are simply a normal part of growing up, but our findings suggest the transition to secondary school plays a much larger role than previously understood,” Zhou said.
“People often assume that declines in wellbeing are simply a normal part of growing up, but our findings suggest the transition to secondary school plays a much larger role than previously understood”
The study examined two separate student groups that both started secondary school in 2022, one entering Year 7 and the other Year 8. Researchers said this allowed them to separate the effects of the school transition from broader developmental changes linked to adolescence.
“We know the move to a new school can be challenging. Students are adapting to unfamiliar environments, navigating new social structures, and meeting more demanding academic expectations while often leaving behind close friends and familiar adults.
“But too often, poor wellbeing in the early teenage years is dismissed as part of normal development. Our research suggests the transition itself is a major driver of these wellbeing declines.
“The findings are clear: every aspect of student wellbeing is affected by the move from primary school to secondary school, with poorer wellbeing persisting well beyond the first year of high school.”
Researchers said the findings raise questions about how schools and education systems approach student transition programs, particularly as many support measures are concentrated around orientation periods and the opening months of Year 7.
Co-researcher Professor Dot Dumuid from University of Adelaide said schools may need to provide longer-term wellbeing support for students entering high school.
“Transition support cannot end after orientation week,” Prof Dumuid said.
“Our findings show that for many students, wellbeing challenges don’t disappear after the first term or even the first year of high school. In some cases, students may continue to struggle for two years or more after starting secondary school.
“That means schools need to think about transition support as an ongoing process, rather than a short-term program delivered at the beginning of Year 7.
“We need continued monitoring and support throughout the early years of secondary school, particularly for students who may be more vulnerable to declining wellbeing.
“If schools, families and policymakers can recognise these risks early and work together to respond, we have a much better chance of protecting young people’s mental health over the long term.”
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