College is a time of increased autonomy and independence for students. As students make the transition to college, many use alcohol or other substances, such as cannabis, for the first time. According to a 2019 study, 60% of college students reported drinking alcohol, 39% reported binge drinking, and 20% reported engaging in cannabis in the past 30 days. Alcohol and cannabis use have a strong correlation with negative consequences. Among college individuals who reported cannabis use, 90.8% reported one or more negative consequences. Students with ADHD show significantly higher rates of hazardous alcohol use than their peers. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to examine associations among ADHD diagnosis, sleep, and ADHD on alcohol-related negative consequences, above and beyond levels of alcohol use.
This study consisted of 101 participants, who were all full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 22. The adult ADHD Clinical Diagnostic Scale was used to assess childhood and current ADHD symptoms. The sleep measure was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Alcohol and cannabis use were measured through the alcohol use disorder identification test, the daily drinking questionnaire, The Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consumption Questionnaire, and The Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire.
Results of this study suggested elevated risk for sleep and substance use consequences among students with ADHD, compared to their peers without ADHD. The study does acknowledge that college students who drink with ADHD possibly already experience worse sleep quality due to difficulty with self-regulation around their sleep routine. Still, alcohol use was found to worsen these issues further. Further research should be focused on longitudinal methods to determine the mechanisms of risk that individuals with heavy drinking and ADHD face and to develop interventions.
Takeaway: Students with ADHD have an elevated risk for sleep and substance use consequences when compared to their peers without ADHD.