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Child Development, Mental Health, and Well-Being: Research Overview

This research guide is designed for people seeking information and resources about mental health, addictions, well-being and services for young people across Ontario.

Research Strategy: Questions to think about before you begin

There are a lot of resources available through and beyond the Tyndale libraries on mental health and issues related to mental health. Before starting your research it always a good idea to define the type of resources that you need.

The following are some questions to think about as you start your search for printed, electronic and online resources related to mental health issues.

  1. Who is going to use this information?

    * Is this information for your personal use?
    * Is this information for somebody close to you, a colleague or a student in your class?
    *     What is the age of the person who is going to use the information?
    * What is the reading level of the person who is going to use the information?
    * What is the socio-cultural background of the person who is going to use the information?

  2. What kind of information do I want?

    *      Are you looking for background information? 
    *  Are you looking for support services and interventions?
    *      Are you looking for lesson plans and classroom support materials?
    *  Are you looking for juvenile literature?
    *      Are you looking for personal reflections and narratives?
    *  Are you looking for government information and curriculum resources?

  3. Why do I want this information?

    * Do you want background information on a particular mental health issue?
    * Do you want information on how to help struggling with a mental health issue?
    * Are you looking for support services or interventions?
    * Are you looking for articles, books or other resources for a research assignment?
    * Are you looking for lesson plans, children's literature or other resources for the classroom?

  4. Where is this information coming from?

    * Who published the resource? Is it a government agency? A health worker or another professional? A survivor?
    * What is the author's worldview and/or cultural orientation?
    * When was the resource published?
    * Has the resource been "peer-reviewed" or through through some other formal editorial process? 

For more guiding questions on selecting a resource please see the selection criterion for Mental Health websites.