Drug use and life style among college undergraduates in 1989: a comparison with 1969 and 1978

Pill-poppers and dopers: a comparison of non-medical prescription drug use and illicit/street drug use among college students

Data from the 2001 College Alcohol Study, a national sample of U.S. college students, were used to conduct multinomial logistic regression analysis examining correlates of substance use. Students were divided into three groups based on their lifetime substance use: non-users, non-medical prescription drug use only, and illicit/street drug use only. The purpose of this analytic strategy was to examine the similarities/differences in the correlates of non-medical prescription drug use and illicit/street drug use. Findings indicate that race, age, G.P.A., sexual activity, health, binge drinking, marijuana use, social bonding and social learning measures are correlates of non-medical prescription drug use. Correlates of illicit/street drug use include gender, Hispanic ethnicity, sexual activity, binge drinking, marijuana use, social bonding and social learning measures. Finally, the focus of the paper is a comparison of students who report only non-medical prescription drug use to students who report only illicit/street drug use. Findings indicate that gender, race, marital status, sexual activity, marijuana use, and social bonding measures significantly distinguish illicit/street drug use from non-medical prescription drug use. Important implications, limitations, and future research needs were discussed.

Drinking, binge drinking, and other drug use among southwestern undergraduates: three-year trends

This study examined substance use patterns and consequences in college students over a three year period. Students were surveyed at a large, southwestern university, allowing for a diverse sample that included a large percentage of minority respondents. Students (total N = 2710) in 1994, 1995, and 1996 responded anonymously to the Core Survey of Alcohol and Drugs. Over 80% of students at each time point were current drinkers, and over one-third at each time period reported binge drinking. Binge drinking was associated with greater weekly drinking and with a range of negative consequences. Underage drinking was prevalent at all time points, and underage drinkers reported drinking in a range of on- and off-campus situations. Hispanic students reported higher rates of binge drinking than other ethnic groups. Nonwhite, non-Hispanic students reported greater rates of abstinence than other students. Although other drug use was much less prevalent, drug use in combination with drinking was associated with more problematic patterns of drinking and more negative consequences. Results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions with college students.

Substance abuse treatment for people with schizophrenia

Substance abuse by people with schizophrenia is a serious public health problem that is associated with poor treatment compliance, increased rates of relapse, and disruption of role functioning. There is widespread agreement on the need to integrate psychiatric and substance abuse treatment for this dual disorder, but to date there are no specific treatments with solid empirical support. We first review the primary consequences of substance abuse by people with schizophrenia and then examine what is currently known about their treatment needs. We then describe the special problems faced by this population that interfere with their ability to reduce substance use, with or without treatment. The remainder of the paper focuses on description of a new behavioral treatment we have developed to compensate for the cognitive and motivational deficits that characterize the illness. We describe the development process and present some process data that demonstrate that the intervention is safe and acceptable for people with schizophrenia, and that we are able to train therapists to administer the procedures in a consistent and effective manner. Future studies will examine the effectiveness of the intervention.

Drug use and lifestyle among college students in Austria and the United States

Using an anonymous questionnaire, we assessed the prevalence of alcohol use and illicit drug use among 545 college students in Innsbruck, Austria in 1995. The questionnaire also assessed various aspects of students' lifestyles, including academic performance, college activities, career plans, visits to a psychiatrist, and sexual activity. We compared these results with those obtained using the same questionnaire at a similar American college in 1989. We found that the prevalence of virtually all forms of illicit substance use was much higher among the American students. In both Austria and the United States, however, we found few differences between drug users and nonusers on most measures of lifestyle, with the exception of hetero-sexual activity.

Very long-term users of marijuana in the United States: a pilot study

The authors recruited a sample of 37 Americans, aged 30-74, who had smoked marijuana on at least 5,000 separate occasions. These subjects were found to span a wide range of ethnic groups, educational backgrounds, occupations, and annual income; they did not display any obvious features which distinguished them from the population as a whole. They typically began smoking in the 1960s or early 1970s, and then continued to smoke heavily into middle adulthood because they felt that marijuana relieved unpleasant feeling states such as anxiety or depression. To our knowledge, individuals of this type have not previously been examined; further studies of older, long-term American marijuana users are needed.

Concurrent and prospective screening for problem drinking among college students

PURPOSE

Previous studies suggest that combining the CAGE questionnaire with the Perceived Benefit of Drinking Scale (PBDS), information about an adolescent's use of tobacco, and best friend's drinking pattern is a useful composite screening measure for problem drinking. The present study was undertaken to evaluate this composite screening measure prospectively as a predictor of subsequent problem drinking among late adolescents across 3 years of college.

METHODS

A random sample of 452 college freshmen entered a longitudinal study of alcohol use at the beginning of their freshman year. A total of 184 (58%) completed follow-up measures of alcohol use 32 months later. Outcome measures included the quantity and frequency of alcohol use and a composite measure of specific alcohol-related problems.

RESULTS

CAGE scores, PBDS scores, tobacco use, and best friend's drinking patterns as reported at college entry together explained 33% of the variance in the quantity/frequency measure and 37% of the variance in the alcohol-related problems measure from the end of the junior year. These same variables as reported at the end of the junior year explained 50% of the variance in the quantity/frequency measure and 61% of the variance in the alcohol-related problems measure. The composite screening measure as reported at college entry had a sensitivity of 73%, specificity of 70%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 63%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 78% for students at high risk for problem drinking at the end of the junior year. A similar concurrent composite screening measure consisting of the same variables reported at the end of the junior year had a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 56%, PPV of 60%, and NPV of 83% for high-risk drinkers. A total of 70-73% of students could be correctly categorized by each composite screening measure. These composite screening tests had significantly better test characteristics than the CAGE or PBDS alone.

CONCLUSIONS

College students' responses to the CAGE, PBDS, tobacco use, and their friends' drinking remain consistent over 3 years and correlate with concurrent and future risk for problem drinking. These variables explain significant variance in drinking and alcohol-related problems and may constitute a useful screening measure for current and future problem drinking.

Attributes of heavy vs. occasional marijuana smokers in a college population

We sought to assess whether college students who smoked marijuana heavily were distinguishable from students who had used the drug only occasionally. We compared 45 long-term heavy marijuana smokers (individuals who had smoked daily for at least 2 years) with 44 "occasional" smokers (individuals who had never smoked more than 10 times in a month at any time in their lives), drawn from the student populations at two Boston-area colleges. measures included a questionnaire covering a range of demographic, drug use, and subjective items; the Rand Mental Health Inventory; and both the Axis I and Axis II sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Heavy smokers reported higher rates of use of other substances, especially hallucinogens and cocaine, and they described greater subjective impairment of memory and motivation than occasional smokers; however, on a wide range of demographic, family background, and mental health measures, the heavy smokers proved almost indistinguishable from occasional smokers. Even the heaviest college marijuana smokers exhibit few demographic or psychiatric features that distinguish them from students who smoke only occasionally.

The effects of internal and external control factors on college students' marijuana use and cessation of use

The purpose of this study was to examine how selected internal and external control variables influence lifetime use, frequency of use, and cessation of use of marijuana. The internal control factor, comprising the variables 1) perceived risk of marijuana use and 2) attitudes toward prohibition of marijuana use, refers to a built-in personal tendency toward conventionality. The external control factor refers to social-environmental forces which discourage marijuana use. External control is indicated by factors including the number of extra-curricular activities in which an individual is involved; place of residence; the availability of marijuana; peer attitudes toward marijuana use; the number of an individual's friends who use marijuana; and the number of occasions on which an individual has observed others using marijuana. The study's results show that both internal and external control factors are significant predictors of the frequency of marijuana use. The external control factor, however, plays a more important role in explaining lifetime marijuana use and cessation of marijuana use.

Substance use and abuse among college students: a review of recent literature

This article reviews the research literature since 1980 on alcohol and other (illicit) drug use among college and university students. The discussion begins with a summary of survey findings on the nature and extent of alcohol and drug use, including prevalence and patterns of use and associated problems. This summary is followed by a discussion of the correlates of substance use and problems, including demographic characteristics, personality factors, year in college and grade point average, college residence, motivation, and attitudes. The most popular substance used by college students is alcohol, used by about 90% of students at least once a year. Heavy alcohol use is also prevalent, and is associated with serious, acute problems. Although alcohol use has decreased somewhat in recent years, much larger declines in use have been recorded for illicit drugs. The major proportion of research on substance use in this population has been devoted to alcohol; more information is needed on the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of illicit drug use. Suggestions for coping with problems of campus alcohol use/abuse are offered.

Screening for problem drinking among college freshmen

PURPOSE

This study identified predictors of older adolescents at risk for problem drinking.

METHODS

College freshmen (n = 492) completed a questionnaire that addressed drinking patterns, risk factors for problem drinking, the CAGE questions, the Perceived-Benefit-of-Drinking Scale (PBDS), and the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST). They also responded to questions regarding alcohol-related problems including blackouts; alcohol-related injury, illness, violence, or legal problems; driving under the influence; and missing class. 50% of students were male with a mean age of 17.9 years (SD = 0.5).

RESULTS

Higher scores on the CAGE and PBDS, use of tobacco, best friend's drinking pattern, and younger age at first drinking were associated with higher scores on a quantity/frequency drinking index and with reports of significantly more alcohol-related problems. Regression models using these variables explained 40% to 51% of the variance in drinking habits and alcohol-related problems.

CONCLUSION

A composite screening measure had significantly better sensitivity and specificity than either the CAGE or PBDS alone in identifying older adolescents at high risk for problem drinking.

Extracurricular activities: are they an effective strategy against drug consumption?

This work describes data obtained among 16,117 high-school students in fifteen Brazilian cities, involving participation in a number of extracurricular activities and consumption of drugs and alcohol. In the great majority of cases, no association was found between attendance of artistic-, community-, or sports-related activities and the use of these substances. On the other hand, a weak but constant negative association was found involving alcohol/drug consumption and attendance of religious activities. The authors discuss these findings in the light of some current preconceptions prevailing in Brazilian society: namely, that such activities constitute effective strategies for drug use prevention and the "idle" young persons tend to be potential drug users. They also discuss the implications that among students involved in religious activities drug and alcohol consumption was shown to become slightly lower.

Problem drinking among college freshmen

Entering college freshmen (n = 308) completed a questionnaire which assessed drinking behaviors and identified students at risk for problem drinking as defined by the CAGE (focuses on Cutting down on drinking, Annoyance by criticism by others about drinking, Guilty feelings about drinking, and the use of an Eye opener) questionnaire and Perceived-Benefit-of-Drinking Scale (PBDS). Students were 50% male with a mean age of 17.9 years. In the past month, 17% had drunk on 10 or more occasions, and 18% had binged on 6 or more occasions. CAGE scores of 2 or greater were obtained by 21% and PBDS scores of 3 or greater by 29%, reflecting high risk for problem drinking. High-risk CAGE and PBDS scores were associated with frequent drinking and binging. Student reports of parental problem drinking were not associated with high risk for problem drinking. Intent to join a fraternity or sorority (the Greek system) was associated with frequent drinking, binging, and high-risk CAGE and PBDS scores. Approaches to screening for problem drinking which emphasize attitudes and beliefs may be useful. The Greek system appears to be attractive to high-risk students and should be a focus of prevention programming.

[Extracurricular activities and drug abuse prevention: a controversial issue]

Data obtained from 16,117 high school students in fifteen Brazilian cities, relating to participation in a number of extracurricular activities and consumption of drugs and alcohol, are described. In the great majority of cases, no association was found between participation in artistic, community or sports-related activities and the use of these substances. On the other hand, a weak but constant negative correlation was found between alcohol/drug consumption and involvement in religious activities. The authors discuss these findings in the light of some of the current preconceptions prevailing in Brazilian society: namely, that such activities constitute effective strategies for drug use prevention; and that "idle" young persons tend to be potential drug users. They also discuss the implications of the fact among students involved in religious activities drug and alcohol consumption has been shown to be slightly lower.

Diagnostic and demographic correlates of substance abuse in schizophrenia and major affective disorder

The relationship between history of specific types of substance abuse (alcohol, stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, narcotics) and demographic and diagnostic variables was evaluated in a large (n = 263) sample of schizophrenic, schizoaffective, major depression and bipolar disorder patients. Prevalence rates were also compared with rates observed in a previous study (1983-1986) conducted using the same methods. Demographic characteristics (gender, age, race, educational level) were strong predictors of type of substance abuse. Patients with a history of cocaine abuse had fewer prior hospitalizations, suggesting that less impaired psychiatric patients may be more prone to illicit substance abuse. Diagnoses were not related to most types of substance abuse, although there was a trend for bipolar patients to have a history of alcohol abuse. The results demonstrate the importance of matching groups on demographic characteristics when exploring diagnostic differences in preference to abuse specific types of substances.

Effect of medical school stress on the mental health of medical students in early and late clinical curriculum

Earlier research has shown that medical students in the United Kingdom and the United States report a higher level of nervous symptoms than the general population. To better understand how medical students in Norway compare with these findings, 299 male and female students in the clinical curriculum at the University of Oslo were asked to complete a questionnaire about themselves and their mental health. Medical students in Norway do not differ from the general population in mental health. However, the students report a lower level of general self-esteem than the general population. The male students had more nervous symptoms and a less general self-esteem than the female students compared with the general population. This research also shows that medical school stress is a good predictor of nervous symptoms even when psychosocial variables such as marital or cohabitation status, confident other and general self-esteem are taken into consideration.