This study explores the association between alcohol and cannabis use and academic performance over 4 years. Although similar studies have been done, they all show evidence that higher substance use correlates to lower academic performance, but this is one of the first that is doing it over a full 4-year time period. They hypothesized that higher alcohol and marijuana use will lead to lower academic performance. Resulting in lower grades and cumulative GPA.
The study also looks into seeing if there is a difference between marijuana and alcohol use in academic performance. The sample consisted of 209 participants, 62% female and 90% white. The participants completed online surveys in the 2015-2016 academic year. Follow-up surveys were done similarly, with a retention rate of 85% and a total of 178 participants. By year 4 there was a total of 167 participants, 80% retention. By year 4, 109 had recently graduated. The online surveys measured, alcohol and marijuana frequencies, AUD (alcohol use disorder) and CUD (cannabis use disorder) symptoms, grades, and cumulative GPA.
The study did hypothesize that higher grades would predict lower substance use and vice versa. It was found that stable trait-like influences on study variables and that the association between alcohol and cannabis frequencies, symptoms, and grades were largely explained via between-rather than within-person effects. Between-person means is a time-invariant, stable, trait-like factor whereas within-person is change over time. Results also showed that those with greater AUD symptoms in the first year of college did experience a decline in grades in the second year of college. There is still a need for future research, but this study showed the importance of screening and targeting treatments for AUD symptoms, especially in the first year of college.
Takeaway: Screening for AUD symptoms among college students, especially in the first year of college could lead to an increase in academic performance.