GUI is a national, longitudinal study of children and young people in Ireland and is a collaborative programme of work between the CSO and the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion, and Youth (DCEDIY). This release presents the main results describing the lives of 25-year-olds in GUI, from the central survey themes of physical health, well-being and key relationships, education, civic participation, and economic participation. See the Editor’s Note below for more background information on GUI.

Health and well-being chapter: In our chapter on Health and well-being, nearly nine out of ten (89.1%) respondents reported themselves as having good to excellent general health. There was, however, a decline in mental health since this group were aged 20 years. Levels of self-reported depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem had increased since 2018. More than three in ten women (31.5%) said they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety at some point in their lives. Women without a higher education self-reported more negative outcomes. When it comes to alcohol, almost four in ten (39%) engaged in what the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers to be hazardous drinking with notably higher figures among men, especially men with higher education. A majority (51.3%)  stated they did not smoke nor vape while more than one in five in our group (21.4%) said they had tried cocaine at least once in the past year.

Drug use: When this group were surveyed at age 20, cannabis was the most frequently tried drug. Cocaine had been tried by approximately one-fifth of respondents. At age 25, respondents were specifically asked about cannabis usage, followed by a separate question concerning other non-prescription drug use. Cannabis remained a frequently tried drug; over half (56.6%) of respondents said they had tried it once or twice, used to take cannabis, or were current users (See report Table 5.5). One in seven (14.2%) respondents said they were current cannabis users. Slightly more men (16.1%) than women (12.3%) said they were current cannabis users. Those who had at least an NFQ Level 7 or equivalent qualification and those who did not reported comparable rates of cannabis use (14.3% of those with such a qualification compared with 14.0% of those without).

When asked about other non-prescription drug use, (See report Figure 5.5), just over one-fifth (21.4%) of respondents said they had used cocaine at least once in the year prior to the survey. This was followed by ecstasy (10.7% said they had used it at least once in the last year), ketamine (9.7%), and magic mushrooms (6.9%). Almost six in ten (58.9%) respondents said they had not taken any non-prescription drugs in the last year. Cocaine usage in the last year was more common for men (24.3%) than for women (18.6%) (See Table 5.6). Levels of education were not a factor in cocaine use (See Table 5.6).

Alcohol and nicotine: The World Health Organisation (WHO) AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) scale measures hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption (See Background Notes for further information). Based on this measure, just over two in five of this group at age 20 reported levels of drinking that could be categorised as risky or hazardous. At age 25, this figure had decreased slightly to just under two in five (39%) of respondents who reported a level of drinking that could be considered risky or hazardous compared with 40.1% of respondents who recorded a non-hazardous level of drinking (See report Table 5.4). Men (44.5%) recorded a risky or hazardous level of drinking more frequently than women (33.6%). There were education and sex related differences in levels of drinking. Higher levels of education were associated with increased levels of risky or hazardous drinking, particularly for men. Educated men were most at risk of hazardous consumption of alcohol with 51.2% of males falling into the category of hazardous alcohol consumption. Women educated to an NFQ Level 6 qualification or below were least at risk of consuming hazardous amounts of alcohol (25.4%).

Gambling: Respondents to the Cohort '98 at age 25 survey were asked if they had ever participated in any kind of gambling activities and whether they had done this in person or online. Overall, 50.7% said they had engaged in gambling in person – either in the form of lotto tickets, scratch cards, casino tables, bingo, cards, video games or betting on horse races or other sporting events (See report Figure 5.6). The equivalent figure for online gambling was 41.3%. Most respondents who gambled said they had gambled both online and in person (34.5%), while just over a quarter (26.3%) stated they had never gambled. Men and women said they gambled in equal proportions (58.8% of men compared with 56.4% of women). However, more men (45.8%) tended to have taken part in online gambling compared with 37.0% of women. Levels of education were not a factor in gambling patterns.