Substance misuse is a perpetual public health issue occurring across university environments in the United States. Alcohol and cannabis are the two of the most frequently used substances, each incurring negative consequences (some unique, some shared) related to academic performance, mental health, and physiological functioning. While the direct effects of substance use are becoming more clearly characterized, the motivating factors and influences behind the behavior(s) are less defined. Discrimination can alter almost every aspect of an individual’s health and wellbeing, and a growing body of literature suggests the experience of discrimination may linked to substance use via several different purported mechanisms related to coping, distress, etc. This study explores the potential relationship between substance use and discrimination in a sample of college students.
The study’s analytic sample is a collection of response data from 426,425 student-participants retrieved from eight surveys occurring between 2015 and 2018 as part of the National College Health Assessment (organized by the American College Health Association). Response variables included the following measures related to discrimination: demographics, experiences/history of discrimination, and effects of discrimination on personal life. The following substances were included when measuring past-month and past-year substance use: tobacco-containing products, cannabis, alcohol, opiates, sedative, stimulants, psychedelics, antidepressants, and other prescription drugs. For prescription drugs, use was to be reported only if the substance was used on a non-prescribed basis (e.g., recreational use of methylphenidate). Data analysis was performed using the application of inverse probability of treatment weights supported by linear regression modelling.
Results of the study found that the associations between substance use and discrimination vary considerably according to gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. The strongest relationship in this model included discrimination and inhalant use (e.g., nitrous oxide) and methamphetamine use, while other similar relationships were observed with alcohol, cannabis, and opiates.
Takeaway: this study supports the current body of literature which suggests experiences of discrimination may be linked to substance use.