In 2021, the ARK NILT survey asked the Northern Ireland (NI) population about their views on a range of issues relating to fairness with regard to incomes, taxes and social security, financial hardship and the cost of the living. It did so at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic had brought about both an economic and public health crisis impacting the everyday lives of many people. The fieldwork for the survey took place during the final quarter of 2021, just before an Omicron wave of COVID-19 infections.
 

2021 Northern Ireland Life and Times survey results.

In this new Research Update, Siobhan O'Neill (Northern Ireland's Mental Health Champion), Margaret McLafferty and Paula Devine explore public attitudes to mental health and suicide in Northern Ireland, based on data from the 2021 Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey. This Research Update was published to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

This online webinar on 31 August 2021 marked the public release of results from the 2020/1 Young Life and Times (YLT) survey. YLT is an annual survey which records the attitudes of young people aged 16 living in Northern Ireland to key issues affecting their lives.

In this event, Dr Dirk Schubotz (YLT Director) highlighted key findings from the most recent survey, which included questions on mental health, coercive control, good relations, community safety, shared education, and politics. A panel of experts - Susan Lagdon (Ulster University), Alex Tennant (NICCY) and Rosellen Roche (University of Ohio) - discussed these findings. 

This event marked the public release of the findings from the 2020 Northern Ireland (NILT) survey. The survey recorded the views of 1,292 respondents across Northern Ireland to key social policy issues.

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse also known as emotional or psychological abuse; indirect abuse; or emotional torture. In order to address the need for evidence-based knowledge to improve public awareness and victim response to coercive control, a module of questions was included in the 2020 NILT survey.

In the webinar, Dr Susan Lagdon (Ulster University) and Dr Julie-Ann Jordan (Northern Health and Social Care Trust) highlighted the key findings of these questions, and discuss public understanding of coercive control within intimate relationships. An expert panel then gave their comments, followed by a general discussion.

This event on 17 January 2021 explored public attitudes to minorities and migrants in Northern Ireland, using data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times survey and Young Life and Times survey.  The presenter was Lucy Michael, followed by a response by Raquel McKee (African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland).