OSDUHS FAQs

The questions in the survey cover a range of issues facing young people today, such as drug use, mental health, bullying, gambling, video gaming, physical health behaviours and driving-related behaviours. Demographic questions (such as age, sex at birth, gender identity, racial background) are also included so that we can understand if there are important differences between groups. The results could help target preventive measures and interventions.

There are separate questionnaires for grades in elementary schools (grades 7 and 8) and secondary schools (grades 9 through 12). The elementary school questionnaires are shorter than the secondary school questionnaires.

The younger students (grades 7 and 8) are asked about drug use because the survey seeks to examine the developmental course of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use from pre-adolescence to late adolescence. By studying a wide age range, we can assess the typical age of initiation of substance use and when use becomes more frequent or heavy. This information is very useful in policy and prevention program planning. Further, young adolescents already know about these topics as they are covered in the health education curriculum.

No. There are no scientific studies that show that simply asking students about a behaviour will encourage them to try that behaviour. Surveys such as the OSDUHS have been conducted for decades and most show decreases over time in student drug use and other harmful behaviours. The questions in the survey cover topics that most, if not all, youth are already exposed to in everyday life. Further, the benefits of these studies far outweigh any potential risks. Some schools use the OSDUHS experience as a conduit to discussions about health-related topics such as drug use, bullying, mental health, etc.

The OSDUHS questionnaire and procedures have been approved by the research ethics boards at CAMH and York University, and participating school boards.

Many adults have impressions about young people that are not based on fact, but rather on stereotypes and media headlines. It is important to know about young people’s own experiences, their problems and their beliefs. The survey results provide an accurate picture of what it is like growing up in today’s world.

The 2023 OSDUHS is an online survey to be completed in class during regular school hours. Students with parental consent will be given a link to the survey from the survey administrator. Students can complete the online survey using any electronic device connected to the internet.

It takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes for students to complete the online questionnaire.

The OSDUHS typically surveys over 10,000 students in grades 7 through 12 in big cities, small towns and rural areas across the province.

Of course they do. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. Plus, a student can stop the survey at any time for any reason. We think once students know that their opinions count, they will agree that this is an important study.

Typically, about 200 to 300 elementary/middle schools and high schools are selected to represent students in grades 7 through 12 in Ontario. All schools are selected randomly (by chance) from a list of all public and Catholic schools in Ontario provided by the Ministry of Education. Just because a school is selected does not mean that there is a problem in that school. Within each selected school, a few classes are randomly selected and invited to participate.

No, our sample of schools must be selected randomly (by chance) according to the survey’s design in order to maintain scientific integrity.

Trained staff members from the Institute for Social Research (ISR), at York University, administer the survey in classrooms (on behalf of CAMH). Teachers (or other school staff) are asked to distribute and collect the provided active parental consent forms before the date of the survey. For those schools that use online parental consent, teachers (or other school staff) are asked to send out the survey invitation to parents and students using the school’s standard electronic distribution procedures.

Teachers are not required to be present in the classroom during the survey, but they can be if they wish. This may also depend on school board policy. To make it convenient for schools, the survey can be administered on any date between November and June. No school records are needed.

Neither schools nor students are paid for participating. Depending on school board policy, teachers of the participating classes, and the school principal, will receive a $15 Tim Hortons gift card as a token of thanks for their assistance with distributing the parental consent forms.

Schools will receive the reports describing the provincial drug use trends and the mental health and well-being trends. Furthermore, schools with a sufficient sample size will be provided with a brief school-level report highlighting the main findings.

Yes, it is. We do NOT want students to write their names anywhere on the questionnaires. We are only interested in the student population as a whole. Responses to the questionnaire cannot be linked back to any individual. No names of participating school boards or schools are ever made public. All information gathered in the study is strictly confidential.

Schools with a sufficient sample size of participating students will receive a confidential school-report, which will only be sent to the school principal and/or vice-principal. The school will have the authority to share any school-level report with whom they choose.

Students’ answers are sent directly to a secure data centre (in Canada). The anonymous survey data are only seen by the staff at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at York University, who administer the survey on CAMH’s behalf, and researchers. The answers cannot be connected to individual students or school records. Teachers and principals will not see students’ answers.

We use active parental consent procedures in our study for students under age 18, meaning that a student can only participate in the survey if a parent/guardian has consented beforehand. Students with parental consent must also assent before participating. 

It is important for us to gather information about all students in grades 7 to 12, including those who do and do not engage in risk behaviours. To get a true picture of the health and well-being of youth today, we need to know about those who do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, for example, as well as about those who do engage in these behaviours. The survey also asks about health-promoting behaviours such as healthy eating and physical activity, which apply to everyone.

No. This is an anonymous survey and therefore your child will be asked to NOT put their name on the questionnaire. We cannot link responses back to any individual.

This survey provides an opportunity to talk with your children about alcohol, drugs, bullying, anxiety and many other issues. To help with those conversations, CAMH provides many resources, both for parents, such as brochures, videos, and podcasts, and for children and youth, such as brochures and storybooks. CAMH has developed a resource for parents who are concerned about their child's use of technology, such as smartphones and video games.

CAMH offers clinical treatment, as well as education, prevention and health promotion services related to child and youth mental health and addictions. CAMH also offers treatment for problem gambling and technology use for youth older than 16 and their parents.

For over 40 years, the OSDUHS has proven to be a valuable resource for school and health professionals working with youth. The OSDUHS also provides scientific findings that highlight areas of concern and emerging trends. The findings are also useful in dispelling myths and misconceptions about youth behaviour, and challenging anecdotal and media reports.

Below are some specific examples of how the survey results have been used during the past four decades: 

School curriculum: OSDUHS findings have been used in the development of CAMH’s school curriculum guidelines for physical health, mental health and gambling. 

Tobacco use and smoking: The Ontario Ministry of Health relies on OSDUHS data about youth smoking, vaping, purchasing behaviour, and exposure to second-hand smoke in order to assist in monitoring the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy. 

School safety: The Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Auditor General have used OSDUHS school-related findings, including the bullying trends, to evaluate school safety in Ontario. 

Cannabis use and driving campaigns: The Canadian Public Health Association’s national campaign to raise awareness about cannabis use and driving was largely brought about by the only Canadian estimate (and trends) for this problem provided by the OSDUHS. 

Prescription drug misuse campaigns: Television and radio campaigns by Drug Free Kids Canada to raise awareness about the potential for youth to misuse prescription drugs found in the home, as well as to drive after using drugs, were brought about because of OSDUHS findings. 

Identification of new risks: The OSDUHS provided the first Canadian student estimates of numerous risk and problem behaviours such as: traumatic brain injury, synthetic cannabis use, use of cannabis in an e-cigarette, ecstasy use, the misuse of OxyContin and other opioid pain relievers (without a prescription), , street racing, video gaming problems and texting while driving. 

Evidence for other publications: Findings about trends in drug use and mental health have been incorporated in several Canadian sociology and psychology textbooks.