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Arnoto
04/10/2017
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
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,
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
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
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
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
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
(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
Another study conducted by Paola, MacPherson, Khan, Shapero, Fisher, Nyer, Cassano,
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
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
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,
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
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
Wong, Yeh, Rhew, Lee, Subramaniam, Liu, and Larimer (2017) a non-prescribed stimulant is
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
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
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
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
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
Conclusion
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
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
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