The HPRS’s interdisciplinary research aims to answer key questions about the health and peer relationships of students in Ontario schools. Students are surveyed during school time each year using an online survey that takes 20 minutes on average to complete.
What are the short- and long-term associations between exposure to bullying and mental health?
Does the Ontario Ministry of Education’s new cellphone policy improve students’ mental health and reduce bullying?
Which health and behavioural factors best predict school attendance rates?
Do students know where to access help if they are feeling stressed?
Does the Grade 7-8 universal school-based mental-health curriculum improve the mental health trajectories of Ontario students?
Are bullying rates improving in Ontario schools?
The HPRS tracks multiple factors through a comprehensive range of questions on the six key dimensions below.
Health is the overall condition of the body and its ability to function optimally. It encompasses physical fitness, proper nutrition, sufficient rest, and the absence of illness, as well as mental well-being, which is essential for overall health and quality of life.
Although psychosocial factors are largely internal, feelings of stress, loneliness, hopelessness, and insignificance often impact a student’s external motivation and mood.
Creating a safe environment at school is critical for student well-being. When students are bullied, harassed, or discriminated against, they are more likely to experience depression and stress, which can impact their academic performance.
Technology use is measured through the use of cell phones and other mobile devices at school, as well as student attitudes toward cell phone policies in their schools.
School factors refer to the overall quality and character of school life, including the relationships, norms, values, and practices that shape the learning environment.
Student background information includes important demographic details to better understand the diversity of students represented in the data, such as grade level, gender, and race/ethnicity.
Data collection begins with teachers reading the survey instructions to students, which outline their rights as participants, including the right to refuse participation and the right to privacy. Students who have parental consent and choose to participate, access the age-appropriate survey online.
The survey covers various topics, including school climate, safety, bullying, the school environment, relationships with peers, as well as students’ thoughts and feelings about their health and behaviour.
To track students over time while preserving their anonymity, responses are linked to a unique identifier code. This code does not require any personally identifiable information, such as names, student numbers, or email addresses.
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