Key Findings

Survey Overview

Why Mental Heath?

Survey Results

Insights into Youth Mental Health and Well-Being in Halton

Survey Results

What Next?

Data Notes

Appendices

Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Indicators of well-being

Students were asked a variety of questions to assess their own mental health, happiness, life satisfaction, loneliness and self-esteem. These indicators of well-being paint a picture of how students feel their life is going from their own perspective, but do not represent any type of diagnosis or clinical assessment. Research has found that higher levels of perceived well-being are associated with decreased risk of illness, greater resiliency, increased longevity and better productivity at work and school. [18] The surveys also asked students about their ability to handle unexpected and difficult problems. This measure serves as an indicator of students’ resiliency, or ability to bounce back or recover from stress. When students have strong resiliency and are well equipped to handle adversity, it can help protect against poor mental health. [19]

Self-rated mental health

Thirty-eight percent of grade seven students and 25% of grade ten students reported that their mental health was very good or excellent. Among grade seven students, boys were 1.7 times more likely than girls and 4 times more likely than students with another gender identity to rate their mental health as very good or excellent. Among grade ten students, boys were more than twice as likely as both girls and students with another gender identity to rate their mental health as very good or excellent.

Indicators of well-being chart
Happiness chart
Happiness Seventy-one percent of grade seven students and 54% of grade ten students reported that they felt happy every day or almost every day in the past month. For both grade seven and grade ten students, boys were most likely to indicate that they were happy every day or almost every day, followed by girls. Happiness was lowest among students with another gender identity.

General interest in life

Just under two-thirds of grade seven students and about half of grade ten students reported that they were interested in life every day or almost every day in the past month. For both grade seven and grade ten students, boys were most likely to report that they were interested in life, followed by girls. Students with another gender identity were the least likely to report being interested in life every day or almost every day.
General interest in life chart
Life satisfaction chart
Life satisfaction Among grade seven students, 60% reported that they were satisfied with life every day or almost every day in the past month, while 44% of grade ten students reported that they were satisfied with life every day or almost every day in the past month. In both grades, life satisfaction was highest among boys, followed by girls, and lowest among those with another gender identity.

Emotional well-being

Emotional well-being is a composite measure that combines responses for happiness, general interest in life, and life satisfaction. Among grade seven students, 63% had positive emotional well-being, while 48% of grade ten students had positive emotional well-being. In both grades, emotional well-being was highest among boys, followed by girls, and lowest among those with another gender identity.
Emotional well-being chart
Loneliness chart
Loneliness Eleven percent of grade seven students and 16% of grade ten students reported that they felt lonely often or always in the past month. Among grade seven students, boys were the least likely to report often or always feeling lonely, while students with another gender identity were most likely to report often or always feeling lonely. Loneliness was similar among boys and girls in grade ten, but was more common among students with another gender identity.

Self-esteem

The self-esteem indicator was based on a series of eight questions that asked students about how frequently they feel good about themselves, feel that they are a person of worth, feel in control of life, feel proud of themselves, feel hopeful about their future and can do most things well. More information can be found in the Indicator Dictionary.

Sixty-three percent of grade seven students and 54% of grade ten students had positive selfesteem. In both grades, self-esteem was highest among boys, followed by girls, and lowest among students with another gender identity.

Self-esteem chart
Resiliency
Loneliness chart
Ability to handle unexpected and difficult problems Students were asked to rate their ability to handle unexpected and difficult problems. Thirty-six percent of grade seven students and 33% of grade ten student rated their ability to handle unexpected and difficult problems as very good or excellent. For both grade seven and grade ten students, boys were more likely than girls or students with another gender identity to rate their ability to handle unexpected and difficult problems as very good or excellent.
Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Community and social connectedness

Throughout life, our physical and mental well-being is directly influenced by the number and quality of relationships that we have. [20, 21] Strong social bonds contribute to reduced anxiety and depression, while fostering greater self-esteem and empathy. [20, 21, 22] Those with robust, healthy relationships are better equipped to navigate life’s challenges and make positive choices. Furthermore, at a community level, social connectedness fosters trust, resilience, and helps communities to thrive. [20] Grade seven and ten students were asked a series of questions about their relationships with peers at school, support from parents or other adults at home, feelings of inclusion at school, and sense of community belonging. Grade seven and ten students were asked a series of questions about their relationships with peers at school, support from parents or other adults at home, feelings of inclusion at school, and sense of community belonging.

Connection to peers

Peer support for learning

Students were asked a series of seven questions about having friends and whether students at their school care about them, respect them and like them the way they are. These questions were used to create the peer support indicator. More information can be found in the Indicator Dictionary.

Nine out of ten students in both grades reported having positive support from their peers at school. In both grade seven and grade ten, boys and girls were more likely to report having positive peer support than students with another gender identity.

Connection to peers chart
Connectedness to other
students at school chart
Connectedness to other students at school Among grade seven students, 65% reported feeling quite or extremely connected to other students at school, 21% felt somewhat connected, and 14% felt slightly or not at all connected. Boys were most likely to report feeling quite or extremely connected to other students, followed by girls and then students with another gender identity. Among grade ten students, 56% reported feeling quite or extremely connected to other students at school, 25% felt somewhat connected, and 19% felt slightly or not at all connected. Both boys and girls were more likely to report feeling quite or extremely connected to other students at school compared to students with another gender identity.

Connection to parents and other adults outside of school

Parent involvement

The parent involvement indicator was based on a series of six questions that asked grade seven and ten students about whether their parents or other adults at home talk to them about school, support them with their school work, and encourage them to talk with their teachers and peers. More information can be found in the Indicator Dictionary.

Among both grade seven and grade ten students, nine out of ten reported positive parental involvement. For both grades, boys and girls were more likely to report positive parental involvement than students with another gender identity.

Parent involvement chart
Having family or another adult outside of school they can count on chart
Having family or another adult outside of school they can count on Nearly nine out of ten students in both grade seven and grade ten reported that they have family or another adult outside of school whom they can count on, no matter what. Among students in grade seven, boys were most likely to report having family or another adult outside of school they can count on, followed by girls. Students with another gender identity were least likely to have a family member or other adult they can count on. For grade ten students, both boys and girls were more likely to report having a family member or other adult they can count on compared to students with another gender identity.

Inclusion

Students were asked a series of eight questions about feelings of acceptance and belonging at school. These questions formed the inclusion indicator. More information can be found in the Indicator Dictionary.

Approximately four out of five students in both grade seven and grade ten reported positive feelings of inclusion. Among grade seven students, boys were most likely to report positive feelings of inclusion, followed by girls and then students with another gender identity. Among grade ten students, both boys and girls were more likely to report positive feelings of inclusion compared to those with another gender identity.

Inclusion chart

Community belonging

Community belonging chart
Seventy-seven percent of grade seven students and 73% of grade ten students reported a strong sense of community belonging. For both grades, boys and girls were about one and a half times more likely to report a strong sense of belonging than those with another gender identity.
Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Safety at school and in the community

Safe and supportive communities can play an important role in promoting good mental health. [23] When students feel safe at school and in their neighbourhoods, it can help reduce stress, foster social connections and learning, and promote opportunities for physical activity and play outdoors. [24, 25, 26] Students were asked questions about their feelings of safety at school, on their way to and from school, and in their neighbourhoods.

Grade seven and ten students were asked a series of questions about their relationships with peers at school, support from parents or other adults at home, feelings of inclusion at school, and sense of community belonging.

Safety

Safety at school About three-quarters of students in both grades seven and grade ten reported feeling quite a bit or very safe at school. In both grades, boys were most likely to report feeling safe at school, followed by girls. Students with another gender identity were least likely to report feeling safe at school.
Safety at school chart
Safety on the way to and from school chart
Safety on the way to and from school Most students also reported feeling safe on the way to and from school, with 87% of grade seven students and 88% of grade ten students reporting feeling quite a bit or very safe. Among students in both grades seven and ten, boys were most likely to report feeling safe on their way to and from school, followed by girls and then students with another gender identity.
Safety in the neighbourhood Nine out of ten students in both grades seven and ten reported feeling quite a bit or very safe in their neighbourhood or community. Boys in grade ten were most likely to report feeling safe in their neighbourhood or community, followed by girls, then students with another gender identity. There were no differences by gender among grade seven students.
Safety in the neighbourhood chart
Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Bullying

Ontario’s Education Act defines bullying as “repeated aggressive behaviour by a student where the behaviour is intended to have the effect of, or the student ought to know that the behaviour would be likely to have the effect of, causing harm, fear or distress to another individual”. [27] Bullying can include physical actions like pushing or shoving, verbal actions like name-calling and spreading rumours, as well as social exclusion. [28, 29] When bullying occurs electronically, such as through text messages or on social media, it is referred to as cyberbullying. [29] Research shows that time spent on social media increases the risk of cyberbullying. [30, 31] Bullying can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and low self-esteem. Children and youth who experience bullying are also more likely to experience depression and anxiety. [32]

To better understand how bullying is impacting Halton youth, students were asked about their experiences with bullying at school, including questions about if, how, when, where and why they experienced bullying.

Bullying experiences

Bullying behaviours experienced at school The top bullying behaviours experienced by students included:
Grade 7 Bullying chart
Grade 10 Bullying chart
Reasons for bullying were not available for grade seven students. Among grade ten students, the top reasons for being bullied were due to:
1. Looks or appearance
2. Grades or marks
3. Mental health
Cyberbullying experiences The top cyberbullying behaviours experienced by students included:
Grade 7 Cyberullying chart
Grade 10 Cyberullying chart
Helping another student being bullied About three-quarters of students in both grades seven and grade ten reported feeling quite a bit or very safe at school. In both grades, boys were most likely to report feeling safe at school, followed by girls. Students with another gender identity were least likely to report feeling safe at school.
Helping another student being bullied chart
Locations where bullying occurs Students were asked about the locations where school bullying most often occurs. The top locations noted by students were:
Locations where bullying occurs Grade 7 chart
Locations where bullying occurs Grade 10 chart
Bullying by someone who doesn’t attend the school chart
Bullying by someone who doesn’t attend the school Ten percent of grade seven students and 8% of grade ten students reported being bullied by someone who doesn’t attend their school in the last month. For both grades, students with another gender identity were more likely to report having been bullied by someone who does not attend their school compared to boys or girls.
Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Sleep and screen-time

Students were also asked questions about their sleep and screen-time. The Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth recommend an uninterrupted nine to ten hours of sleep per night for those aged five to thirteen years (including grade seven students) and eight to ten hours per night for those aged fourteen to seventeen (including grade ten students). [33] The guidelines also recommend that children and youth aged five to seventeen years should get no more than two hours of recreational screen time each day. [33] Sleep problems are both a symptom and a risk factor for many mental health conditions. [34, 35] Insufficient sleep can negatively impact mood and emotions, and can result in problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving and make it harder to learn at school. [35, 36] While the relationship between sleep and mental health is complex, improving sleep can help improve mental well-being. [35] Youth in Halton have grown up in a world where the use of electronic devices and the internet is pervasive and a part of everyday life, for both educational and recreational purposes. Recreational screen-time refers to time spent on a device like a computer, television or gaming console for reasons other than education or work. Studies have found that excessive screen-time in youth is linked to an increase in mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. [37] Possible explanations for these findings include that screen-time might negatively impact sleep, lead to spending less time with family and friends, or replace physical activity, all of which are important factors for promoting positive mental health. [37] Students were asked about the amount of time that they spend sleeping on an average school night, as well as the average amount of time they spend each day on screens in their spare time and on social media.

Sleep

Sleep according to the 24 Hour Movement Guidelines

Among grade seven students, only 35% said they were getting the recommended nine or more hours of sleep for their age (as per the Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines) on an average school night. [33] Among grade ten students, only 29% reported getting the recommended eight or more hours of sleep for their age on an average school night. [33] For both grades, boys were more likely than girls or students with another gender identity to report getting the recommended amount of sleep.

Sleep according to the 24 Hour Movement Guidelines chart

Screen-time

Grade 7 Screen-time chart
Grade 10 Screen-time chart

Recreational screen-time

Students in grades seven and ten were asked about the number of hours a day, on average in the last seven days, that they spent watching TV/movies, playing video games, texting, messaging, posting or surfing the internet in their free time. This includes time on any screen, such as a smartphone, tablet, TV, gaming device, computer or wearable technology. Seventy- three percent of grade seven and 83% of grade ten students reported spending more than the recommended two hours per day of recreational screen-time, as per the Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines. [33] Among grade seven students, girls and students with another gender identity were more likely than boys to report spending more than two hours on average per day on recreational screen-time. There were no differences by gender among grade ten students.

Social media use Students were also asked about the amount of time they usually spend per day on social media sites or apps, either posting or browsing. The term “social media” in this survey refers to social network sites (such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook) and instant messengers (such as SnapChat, Whatsapp and Facebook messenger). Among grade seven students, 37% reported that they usually spend more than two hours a day on social media, while 49% of grade ten students reported that they usually spend more than two hours a day on social media. Among both grade seven and grade ten students, girls and students with another gender identity were more likely than boys to report spending more than two hours a day on social media.
Social Media use
Indicators of well-being
Community and social connectedness
Safety at school and in the community
Bullying
Sleep and screen-time
Substance use

Substance Use

Like sleep, the relationship between substance use and mental health is complex and bidirectional. [38] It is common for youth to try substances like alcohol or cannabis out of curiosity, to express their independence, or to try to fit in with their peers. [39] Some youth may also turn to substances to cope with feelings of stress, loneliness, anxiety, depression or to help cope with other difficulties they are experiencing. [39] However, substance use can also lead to new or worsening mental health problems or addiction. [39, 38] Factors including relationships with family and peers, experiences such as trauma and discrimination, and existing physical and mental health conditions can play a significant role in the relationship between substance use and mental well-being. [39] Support, early intervention and fostering positive protective factors such as strong family and peer relationships, school and community connection, and access to a supportive, trusted adult can help prevent or break this cycle of mental health problems and substance use. [38]

Use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, cannabis and other drugs

Students in grade ten were asked how often in the past month they used any amount of the following substances:
  • beer, wine, coolers, or hard liquor
  • tobacco (i.e. smoked cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos; had flavoured tobacco)
  • vaping products (i.e. used vapes, vape pens, e-cigarettes, e-hookah, mods, tank systems; tried brands like JUUL, Eleaf)
  • cannabis (i.e. smoked, vaped, or eaten marijuana/weed or hash)
  • drugs other than cannabis/marijuana/weed/hash (i.e. illegal drugs; over-the- counter or prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes)
Nineteen percent of grade ten students said they had consumed any alcohol in the past month, while 6% reported using tobacco, 9% reported using vaping products, 9% reported using cannabis, and 4% reported using drugs other than cannabis in the past month. Girls in grade ten were more likely than boys to report consuming alcohol in the past month. Students with another gender identity were more likely than either boys or girls to report consuming each type of substance.
Use of alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, cannabis and other drugs chart
OKN organization graphic