About the Indicator:

Being able to talk to someone about problems you are having is a protective factor for both substance abuse and mental health disorders. Response options to the question “Can you talk to your father about problems you are having?” include: “Yes, most of the time,” “Yes, some of the time,” “No, not very often,” “No, not at all,” and “My father is not around.”

According to 2016 MSS data, students who said they could talk to their father some or most of the time about problems they are having are 1.8 times less likely to report past-month alcohol use, 1.9 times less likely to report past-month tobacco use, 2.2 times less likely to report past-month marijuana use, and 2.3 times less likely to report any past-month prescription drug misuse as compared to those who can't talk to their fathers.

Data Source: Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)

Description: The MSS is a confidential and anonymous self-administered survey given to students attending Minnesota public, charter and tribal schools. From 1995 to 2010, the survey was administered to students in 6th, 9th, and 12th grades. New in 2013, the survey was administered to students in 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. Trend data are now only available for 9th graders, and only for survey questions that did not change. Most schools elect to participate in the survey; in 2013, this included 84% of public schools in Minnesota.

Although the data are not presented here, the survey is also administered to area learning centers, juvenile correction facilities and private schools electing to participate.

Sponsored by: Minnesota Department of Education

Geographic Level: State, Region, and County

Aggregated data at the state and county level do not reveal disparities that may exist within a given geographic area.

Frequency: Data collected and reported every three years

Characteristics: The results of the MSS are also available at a county level. Data Privacy requirements mandate that data is presented in a manner such that no individual student can be identified through the presentation of the results. As part of the Data Privacy practices, the results are also presented in a manner that no individual school district could be identified through the results. Therefore, for counties that have only one school district, the results are not presented. Results are also withheld for counties in which the minimum number for student participation was not met.

The MSS is a “census” of schools, not a sample. The school districts get their own data. Fifth-graders were not asked all substance use questions. Some school districts do not participate, and student participation within the school district can vary widely. These data are self-reported.