Substance Abuse and Stress Levels in Canadian University Students

Background: University students often report feeling intense stress, high anxiety, depressive feelings, low self-esteem, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. This study examined correlations of student stress levels to their abuse of alcohol and non-prescription drugs.

Materials and Method: A total of 100 Canadian university students (mean age 20.2 years, SD=2.5, 33 males, 67 females) participated in an internet survey. They all completed a 30-item questionnaire dealing with their use of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs “to cope” with the stress of studying and exams, and with symptoms such as nightmares, depression, feelings of “being better off dead,” and low self-esteem. The questionnaire also assessed the extent of positive attitude to professors and the pride in or contentment with the social status as a university student.

Results: High proportions of students reported use of alcohol (76%) or of non-prescribed drugs (83%) to cope with the stress of university life. Only 6% of the students indicated that they used neither alcohol nor non-prescribed drugs.

Total scores on the Student Stress Questionnaire were significantly correlated with reports of substance abuse: higher level of stress was reported by students using alcohol (r=.51) or non-prescribed drugs (r=.50). The substance abusing students more often reported feeling depressed, worthless, useless, and being better off dead, and they had more often nightmares about exams or about uncompleted assignments (Pearson rs from .26 to .40).

Discussion: The high prevalence of the use of alcohol and non-prescribed drugs among university students is worrisome, but it also seems consistent with glorification of alcohol consumption both in contemporary films and in novels.

Conclusions: University students who abuse alcohol and/or non-prescription drugs report higher levels of academic stress in their lives.

Keywords: alcohol use, use of non-prescription drugs, university students, stress, nightmares, depression, self-esteem.