The UPSI-5 is an easy to administer instrument to measure the psychosocial well-being of 5-year-old children. It consists of 29 questions that can be filled in by a professional working with children (e.g., a teacher, or a social worker). The UPSI-5 provides an urgently needed counterpart to the strictly physical indicators and mortality indicators commonly used to measure young children’s well-being and survival.

The UPSI-5 can be used for comparative research as well as for lobbying and advocacy purposes. Specifically, the UPSI-5 might be used:

• For baseline and evaluation of programmes aimed at improving young children’s (psychosocial) well-being;
• Comparative research (e.g., drawing comparisons between provinces/regions in a particular country, as well as between countries);
• For a longitudinal study, whereby comparisons are made at different points in time over long periods of time;
• Analysis of correlations between the UPSI-5 of a population of children and other indicators such as under-five mortality rates (U5MR), school enrolment and achievement indicators, socio-economic status, and other relevant social and health-related indicators.
• UPSI-5 results might also be used against the backdrop of an analysis of current child welfare and protection policies.

We expect that the UPSI-5, in combination with, e.g., correlations with health and welfare indicators, can be used as powerful means to support broad child welfare lobby and advocacy initiatives.