Key Findings
Survey Overview
Why Mental Heath?
Survey Results
Insights into Youth Mental Health and Well-Being in Halton
Survey Results
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.
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.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.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.
Resiliency
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 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.
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.
Community belonging
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
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
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.
Screen-time
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.

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)