Percentage of Ontario youth struggling with mental health back to pre-COVID level, survey suggests

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Hamilton says the rise in reported mental health issues over the years could be due to factors such as social media but could also reflect a decrease in stigma and more willingness to talk about psychological distress.

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The 2025 survey, released Monday, shows that fewer students are using alcohol and drugs than in the past and that they’re waiting longer before trying them for the first time.

But it also revealed a dramatic rise in online gambling, with one in 10 students laying sports bets in 2025 compared to one in 100 in 2017.

Almost one-quarter of students reported seeing or hearing advertising for online gambling sites every day.

Hamilton, who is co-director of CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, said the increase in online gambling came as Ontario regulations changed to allow non-government, private betting sites.

Despite age restrictions on those sites, “the students are finding a way to gamble,” she said. 


The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey has been conducted every two years since 1977 in school boards across the province.

The 2025 survey included 11,108 students in grades 7 to 12 in 1,147 classes in 246 schools in 42 school boards. The students completed anonymous online questionnaires between December 2024 and June 2025.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2026.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press