The Relationship Between Mental Well-Being and Substance Use Among Non-Traditional College Students
Location
SU-003
Start Date
2-5-2025 9:20 AM
Department
Psychology
Abstract
The proposed study will investigate the relationship between well-being and substance use among non-traditional college students. Prior research has shown a correlation between well-being and substance use among college students (Brandt et al., 2022; Firkey et al., 2021). The proposed study’s population differs from traditional college students and faces a unique set of challenges like employment, family obligations and COVID lockdown experiences. The sample will be recruited from an urban midwestern university with a significant proportion of students who would be considered nontraditional. The recruited sample will attend school in an urban setting, live off campus, be older, and have a diverse population. The study will be a quantitative survey aimed at assessing aspects of well-being of non-traditional college students like financial/job/family stress, academic pressure, the residual impact of the COVID lockdown, and levels of substance use. Measures will include questions taken from existing surveys like the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Satisfaction With Life Surveys. Original questions designed to address issues not covered by existing surveys will also be included. Analyses will examine Pearson correlations between measures of well-being and substance use behaviors. ANOVA will be used to analyze different levels of substance use among varying aspects of well-being. Results will help to understand how well-being impacts non-traditional college students' substance use. This is vital information needed by academic institutions to provide appropriate support services. While this study is yet to be completed, it is expected to find that the combination of academic pressure, the COVID experience,and unique environmental stressors will contribute to substance use among non-traditional college students. This will help to highlight the necessity of targeted support services that address the specific needs of this population. This work will contribute a greater understanding of how well-being impacts substance use among non-traditional college students by understanding the relationship between well-being and substance use. Furthermore, a greater understanding of patterns of substance use among non-traditional college students and how this relates to aspects of their academic and psychosocial functioning may be useful in developing targeted strategies for prevention and intervention.
Faculty Sponsor
Naida Silverthorn
The Relationship Between Mental Well-Being and Substance Use Among Non-Traditional College Students
SU-003
The proposed study will investigate the relationship between well-being and substance use among non-traditional college students. Prior research has shown a correlation between well-being and substance use among college students (Brandt et al., 2022; Firkey et al., 2021). The proposed study’s population differs from traditional college students and faces a unique set of challenges like employment, family obligations and COVID lockdown experiences. The sample will be recruited from an urban midwestern university with a significant proportion of students who would be considered nontraditional. The recruited sample will attend school in an urban setting, live off campus, be older, and have a diverse population. The study will be a quantitative survey aimed at assessing aspects of well-being of non-traditional college students like financial/job/family stress, academic pressure, the residual impact of the COVID lockdown, and levels of substance use. Measures will include questions taken from existing surveys like the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the Satisfaction With Life Surveys. Original questions designed to address issues not covered by existing surveys will also be included. Analyses will examine Pearson correlations between measures of well-being and substance use behaviors. ANOVA will be used to analyze different levels of substance use among varying aspects of well-being. Results will help to understand how well-being impacts non-traditional college students' substance use. This is vital information needed by academic institutions to provide appropriate support services. While this study is yet to be completed, it is expected to find that the combination of academic pressure, the COVID experience,and unique environmental stressors will contribute to substance use among non-traditional college students. This will help to highlight the necessity of targeted support services that address the specific needs of this population. This work will contribute a greater understanding of how well-being impacts substance use among non-traditional college students by understanding the relationship between well-being and substance use. Furthermore, a greater understanding of patterns of substance use among non-traditional college students and how this relates to aspects of their academic and psychosocial functioning may be useful in developing targeted strategies for prevention and intervention.