Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 16

Running Head: EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Effects of Substance Abuse on Academic Performance of College Students

Madison N. Kopac, Emma R. Shemasek, Ryan M. Strineka, Andrew R. Makosky, Victor T.

Arnoto

04/10/2017

NURS 3947: Nursing Research

Dr. Valerie O’Dell


EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 1

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze the effects of substance abuse on the academic

performance of college students. The substances researched were alcohol, marijuana, and non-

prescribed stimulants. The information that was found came from ten sources of qualitative

research. All the sources shared the same findings on the effect of substances. The data

significantly showed that abusing substances in college will have a negative effect on how one

performs academically. The effects are not always instant and happen over periods of time.

Overall, the research that we found showed that substance abuse negatively affects academic

performance directly and indirectly.


EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 2

Effects of Substance Abuse on Academic Performance of College Students

Using substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and non-prescribed stimulants are a part of

many college students’ lives. On numerous college campuses, partaking in these activities is a

way for students to socialize. Therefore, this behavior has become normalized and a common

occurrence. Many people do not think or care about the consequences it may have because of the

normalization, specifically on one’s performance in school. There have been various studies

conducted that explore these consequences and how they can negatively impact a college

students’ overall experience and academic performance. Not only do these substances directly

affect students’ academic performance, but there were also indirect effects found as well such as

effects on student’s mental health and the completion of college. With that, the following

research question was analyzed: In college students, how does substance abuse compare with the

students that do not abuse substances affect their overall performance in school over their college

career?

Literature Review

Introduction

To answer the research question, the information reviewed was obtained from databases

such as CINHAL Plus, MEDLINE, and Academic Search Complete. Ten sources were analyzed

to understand the effects of substance abuse on academic performance. The effects of alcohol,

marijuana, non-prescribed stimulants, and the combination of substances together will be

evaluated.
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 3

Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the main substances that affects the academic performance of college

students. Many students start drinking for the first time in college because they feel a new sense

of independence. The consumption of alcohol is a common occurrence in college students,

however, it has many consequences. Students do not often acknowledge or even recognize these

consequences, especially when it comes to their health and academic performance. A study

conducted by Piazza-Gardner, Barry, and Merianos (2016) purposed to find a relationship

between alcohol consumption and grade point average (GPA). This study, through surveying

students, found the participants that had low GPAs showed to have consumed more drinks than

participants with higher GPAs (Piazza-Gardner et al. 2016). With alcohol consumption, not only

was GPA affected, but there were a number of other consequences that came with it that affected

academic performance overall. Piazza-Gardner et al. (2016) found that in their survey of 17,821

students, 34% reported missing class, 22% reported falling behind in school work, and the

beyond academics, 2% reported being caught driving under the influence, 9% had some sort of

trouble with police, and then 10% reported being in trouble with campus authorities (p. 348).

Due to students starting college at a younger age, they can have greater and longer lasting

problems when it comes alcohol abuse and alcoholism. From this, problems in social, emotional

and physical development can occur (Castaño-Perez, Calderon-Vallejo, 2014). Along with some

of these developmental problems, immediate physiological problems can occur. As stated by

Wilhite, Ashenhurst, Marino,and  Fromme (2017), “ ...immediate physiological effects of heavy

alcohol use can interfere with academic progress, such as experiencing frequent hangovers,

blackouts, and alcohol poisoning” (p. 419). These developmental issues, as well as the
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 4

physiological effects, can cause students to have problems with mental health, participation and

concentration in class, and intellectual development, which can then lead to an overall poor

performance in school and academics.

Tembo, Burns, and Kalembo (2017) reported that not only does alcohol directly affect

academics in college, it also affects the mental health of students. If a student’s mental health is

not taken care of, it can significantly affect their performance in school. When students are in

psychologic distress, they are extremely unmotivated, especially when to pertains to academics.

Tembo, Burns, and Kalembo (2017) have concluded that “...students who were consuming

alcohol at hazardous levels were 1.2 times more likely to report psychological distress than those

with lower levels of alcohol consumption” (p. 1).  The way that alcohol and mental health affect

a student’s academic performance branches out to more than just one issue. To support this

Tembo, Burns, and Kalembo state “When all factors were considered, being late for class,

missing classes, inability to concentrate in class, inability to complete the assignment and

moderate or high distress independently predicted hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption”

(p. 7). Students that did consume alcohol at a hazardous level were twice as likely to miss class,

show up late for class, and have decreased concentration when compared with students who did

not (Tembo, Burns, and Kalembo, 2017).  Additionally, this study highlighted the fact that there

is a correlation between mental health, academic performance, and consuming hazardous amount

of alcohol, but the component causing the two other effects is still in question.

In a study consisting of 346 young adult participants for an online Trail Making Test B

(eTMT-B), cognitive thinking after a hangover was examined. An eTMT-B exam tests

psychomotor functions, working memory, and executive function involving repetitive clicking

on appropriate numbers and letters on a screen in a grid-like format. Researchers recorded the
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 5

amount of alcohol consumed by the participants followed by their performance on the test.

“Using mixed field and internet methodology, we found that hangover severity is significantly

related to BAC and both are associated with worse performance on the eTMT-B test of attention

and executive function”(Sholey, Benson, Kaufman, Terpstra, Ayre, Verster, Allen, and Devilly,

2019, p. 7). After results were evident, the substance of alcohol could be a detriment to focus and

academic skills as they mask true intellect of consumers. This could could have an effect on a

student’s performance in school if they partake in drinking. An important exam for a student on

Monday morning could be at risk for academic failure due to an inability to focus on material

Sunday after binge drinking throughout the weekend. Thus in turn could affect their academic

performance throughout their college career.

Another study conducted by Paola, MacPherson, Khan, Shapero, Fisher, Nyer, Cassano,

Parnarouskis, Farabaugh, Fava, Silveri, demonstrated emotional feelings of 110 students

engaging in the activity of binge drinking, noting the emotional differences between men and

women along with the levels of motivational progression after continually drinking (2018). It is

stated that the“results provide supporting evidence that distress tolerance (DT) and emotional

reactivity are distinct factors, and that they predict heavy episodic drinking (HED)

independently. Results underscore the importance of examining sex differences when evaluating

the association between HED and negative reinforcement processes in this population” (Pedrelli,

et al., 2018, p. 675). Alcohol consumption for college students tremendously reveals a negative

result of academic success and test scores as the substance is utilized more often. Additionally,

emotional reactivity was found to have a higher rate among students as they begin to engage in

discomforting physical activities, meaning that through the grueling complications and stress that

college criteria carries, students will not be emotionally equipped for the brutality of stressful
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 6

coursework (Pedrelli, et al., 2018). One’s grades, projects, and even classmate interaction can be

affected due to the consumption of alcohol on even a casual basis.

Marijuana

When starting college, many students will begin experimenting with not only alcohol but

also with different types of drugs. With that being said, one of the most common drugs is

marijuana. Like alcohol and other stimulants, marijuana can have negative effects on academic

performance, GPA, and the likelihood of graduating on time or even graduating at all. There are

a various number of side effects from marijuana use that go into the decline of overall academic

performance. According to Wilhite, Ashenhurst, Marino, and Fromme “...marijuana use is

associated with oversleeping and missing class, and it may also affect attention and working

memory”(p. 413 ). These effects all contribute to poor academic performance. Since marijuana

use can affect attention and memory, it can lead to problems with taking notes, retaining

information, and studying. This in turn can have devastating effects on exam and final scores,

leading to lowered GPA.

Not only does the use of marijuana have a short term impact but can also have a

prolonged impact, such as its effects on decision making and impulsivity (Wilhite, Ashenhurst,

Marino, and Fromme, 2017, p. 419). These two factors can also greatly contribute to how one

performs academically in college. “The negative impact on decision-making and impulsivity

may in turn lead to a higher rate of skipping class, a significant mediator in the associations

between marijuana use, GPA, and delayed graduation” (Wilhite, et al., 2017, p. 420).  As one can

see, the use of marijuana can have an indirect effect and cause a chain reaction, starting with just

missing a few classes, performing poorly on exams, to eventually dropping out of college or

having a later graduation date.


EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 7

Non Prescribed Stimulants

According to Arria, Geisner, Cimini, Kilmer, Caldeira, Barrall, Vincent, Fossos-

Wong, Yeh, Rhew, Lee, Subramaniam, Liu, and Larimer (2017) a non-prescribed stimulant is

described as “the use of a medication usually prescribed to treat Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity

Disorder (ADHD) without a prescription or in a way that is inconsistent with a doctor's orders”

(p. 28). The majority of students believe that non prescribed stimulants will increase their

academic performance and increase their grade point average. “... students believe that the drugs

will enhance their concentration (65%), help with studying (60%), and increase alertness (48%)”

(Arria, Geisner, Cimini, Kilmer, Caldeira, Barrall, Vincent, Fossos-Wong, Yeh, Rhew, Lee,

Subramaniam, Liu, and Larimer, 2017, p. 28). This is a common theme among college campuses

across the United States. Procrastination is frequent amongst students, especially around midterm

and finals week. This leads to panic, anxiety, and stress which makes students do anything that

they think will get them a good grade which is why many students use nonprescription

stimulants. Even though a significant amount of studies have shown that non prescribed

stimulants do not have any effect on academics, most college students believe that they will

positively benefit from them (Arria, Geisner, Cimini, Kilmer, Caldeira, Barrall, Vincent, Fossos-

Wong, Yeh, Rhew, Lee, Subramaniam, Liu, and Larimer, 2017). Using a non-prescription

stimulant may seem like it is improving a student’s academics, such as an exam grade, but in

reality it is usually just the way the student studied or the difficulty level of the content on the

exam. “Positive or negative expectancies can mediate behavior and might have reinforcing

effects on behavior over time” (Arria, Geisner, Cimini, Kilmer, Caldeira, Barrall, Vincent,

Fossos-Wong, Yeh, Rhew, Lee, Subramaniam, Liu, and Larimer, 2017, p. 28). When a student
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 8

uses a non-prescribed stimulant for academic purposes and they get a positive outcome, it can

have a huge impact on if they will use the drug again.

According to Arria, Caldeira, Vincent, O’Grady, Cimini, Geisner, Fossos-Wong, Kilmer,

and Larimer (2017) “Students report that non prescribed stimulant usage is driven by study

motives, such as increasing the ability to concentrate while studying or by increasing the amount

of time they can sustain focus” (p. 246).  The research studies that were analyzed did not

correlate with this finding, but actually had the opposite effect pertaining to academics. Arria,

Caldeira, Vincent, O’Grady, Cimini, Geisner, Fossos-Wong, Kilmer, and Larimer (2017) stated,

“Several cross sectional studies have observed that college students who engage in non-

prescription stimulants have lower grade point averages, skip more classes, and have higher

levels of other drug use and excessive drinking than non-users” (p 246).  Non-prescription

stimulants appear to be deceptive to most college students. They do not typically consider the

consequences that come along non-prescribed stimulants when choosing to use them. According

to Arria, Caldeira, Vincent, O’Grady, Cimini, Geisner, Fossos-Wong, Kilmer, and Larimer

(2017) “Experimental studies show little to no benefit to cognitive performance associated with

prescription stimulants when administered to individuals who do not have a diagnosis of ADHD”

(p. 248). As mentioned before, non-prescription stimulants have been found to not have any

benefit academically.  

Not only do college students use non-prescription stimulants to improve their academic

performance, but some students use this drug recreationally to stay active and lively during a

night out.  The use of this drug is commonly abused recreationally as much as it for academic

purposes. According to Arria, Caldeira, Vincent, O’Grady, Cimini, Geisner, Fossos-Wong,

Kilmer, and Larimer (2017), “Non-medical use of prescription stimulants occur when these
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 9

medications are taken without having a prescription or in a way that is inconsistent with a

physician's orders” (p. 246).  Lengthy abuse cycles can cause unwanted factors such as addiction.

When abuse stops many withdrawal symptoms can occur from being addicted. These withdrawal

symptoms make people very unproductive. Some symptoms include fatigue, anxiety,

depression, irritability, and insomnia. All of these problems can negatively affect a student and

their production during the school week. Overall, students who engage in non-prescription

stimulant use showed no increases in their grade point averages and gained no detectable

advantages over their peers.

Combination of Substances

Bolin, Pate, and McClintock (2017) analyzed the relationships between substance use

(specifically alcohol and marijuana) and the performance of college students by distributing

online surveys to undergraduate students at a college. This survey given to students had them

self-report their GPA and the number of times they participated in alcohol or marijuana use in

the past year. These variables were used to show direct relationship trends between them. This

source also analyzed the indirect effects alcohol and marijuana on academic performance as well

by having participants self-report the occurrences of skipping class.

To be thorough in this study, multivariate analysis was done in three models to isolate

specific factors such as the use of only alcohol, the use of only marijuana, and then simultaneous

use of both substances (Bolin et al., 2017). The first model analyzed only alcohol use and found

that students who reported more frequent alcohol use also reported lower GPAs, also noting that,

“the frequency of skipping class had a significant negative relationship with GPA, indicating that

as individuals skipped class more often, their GPAs tended to be lower” (Bolin et al., 2017, p.

433 ). This reflected the same in the other two models which analyzed only marijuana use and
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 10

then simultaneous use of both substances. Bolin et al. (2017) also found that when a student

skipped class, it often would arbitrate relationships between not only alcohol and GPA, but

marijuana and GPA as well, accounting for 40% of the effect of alcohol on GPA and then 35%

of the effect of marijuana on GPA. In the third model of the study, it was found that marijuana

was the more significant predictor of GPA because students who used that more frequently, even

with alcohol use, reported lower GPAs (Bolin et al., 2017). Overall, it was found that

simultaneous use of both of these substances affected GPA, but the substance with the more

significant effect was marijuana.

Conclusion

Abusing substances while in college will have a negative impact on academic

performance. Students need to be aware of the consequences that can arise from using these

substances and how they can avoid them. Many students turn to drugs or alcohol because they

have high stress, anxiety, or just because it is something that they feel they should do socially. As

stated above, it is evident that the use of alcohol, marijuana, and non-prescribed substances can

significantly affect a college student’s academic performance. Using any of these substances can

affect factors such as if a student is late to class, shows up to class, and can also determine

attentiveness in class, leading to negative academic outcomes. These substances can not only

affect their academics directly, but it can indirectly affect them by altering their mental health.

This combined with psychological distress can affect motivation especially towards academics.

The use of marijuana proved to have similar effects. Not only does marijuana use lead to lack of

motivation, but it also causes problems with decision making which can affect if a student will

attend class, study for a test, or apply themselves in school. Unlike the other two substances,

non-prescribed stimulants seem like they would improve a student’s grade, but the research
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 11

above provides evidence that they could have the opposite effect. Combined use of alcohol and

marijuana showed to have negative effects on academic performance, however, marijuana was

revealed to be the substance which is more influential to negative changes in academic

performance. Through all of the sources analyzed, the results indicated a purely negative

relationship across the board between academic performance and substance abuse.
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 12

References

Arria, A. M., Caldeira, K. M., Vincent, K. B., O'Grady, K. E., Cimini, M. D., Geisner, I. M.,...

Larimer, M. E. (2017). Do college students improve their grades by using prescription

stimulants nonmedically?. Addictive Behaviors, 65, 245-249.

doi:10.1016/J.ADDBEH.2016.07.016

Arria, A. M., Geisner, I. M., Cimini, M. D., Kilmer, J. R., Caldeira, K. M., Barrall, A. L., …

Larimer, M. E.(2018). Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical

prescription stimulant use among college students. Addictive Behaviors, 76, 27–33.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.07.013Bolin, R. M., Pate, M., & McClintock, J.

(2017). The impact of alcohol and marijuana use on academic achievement among

college students. Social Science Journal, 54(4), 430–437.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2017.08.003

Castaño-Perez, G. A., & Calderon-Vallejo, G. A. (2014). Problems associated with alcohol

consumption by university students. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem

(RLAE), 22(5), 739–746. https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-1169.3579.2475

Meda, S. A., Gueorguieva, R. V., Pittman, B., Rosen, R. R., Aslanzadeh, F., Tennen, H., …

Pearlson, G. D. (2017). Longitudinal influence of alcohol and marijuana use on academic

performance in college students. PLoS ONE, 12(3), 1–16.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172213

Piazza-Gardner, A. K., Barry, A. E., & Merianos, A. L. (2016). Assessing Drinking and

Academic Performance Among a Nationally Representative Sample of College Students.

Journal of Drug Issues, 46(4), 347–353. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042616659757


EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 13

Paola P.,  MacPherson.,  L., Khan, J., A.,  Shapero., G., B., Fisher., B., L.,  Nyer., M., Cassano.,

P.,  Parnarouskis., P.,  Farabaugh., A., Fava., M., Silveri., M., M. (2018). Sex

Differences in the Association between Heavy Drinking and Behavioral Distress

Tolerance and Emotional Reactivity Among Non-Depressed College Students. Alcohol

and Alcoholism, 53(6), 674-681. https://doi:10.1093/alcalc/agy045

Scholey, A., Benson, S., Kaufman, J., Terpstra, C., Ayre, E., Verster, J., . . . Devilly, G. (2019).

Effects of Alcohol Hangover on Cognitive Performance: Findings from a Field/Internet

Mixed Methodology Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine.

doi:10.20944/preprints201902.0107.v1

Tembo, C., Burns, S., & Kalembo, F. (2017). The association between levels of alcohol

consumption and mental health problems and academic performance among young

University students. PLoS ONE, 12(6),1–13.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178142

Wilhite, E. R., Ashenhurst, J. R., Marino, E. N., & Fromme, K. (2017). Freshman year

alcohol and marijuana use prospectively predict time to college graduation and

subsequent adult roles and independence. Journal of American College Health, 65(6),

413–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2017.1341892
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 14
EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE 15

Вам также может понравиться