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Prevalence of drug use and substance dependence among university students at the University of Girona

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

F. Calvo ,
C. Giralt ,
X. Solench-Arco ,
J. Patiño-Masó  and
S. Font-Mayolas
F. Calvo*
Affiliation:
1Departament de Pedagogia, Institut de Recerca sobre Qualitat de Vida
C. Giralt
Affiliation:
2Institut Català de la Salut, Centre d’Atenció Primària Blanes 2
X. Solench-Arco
Affiliation:
3Universitat de Girona
J. Patiño-Masó
Affiliation:
4Departament d’Infermeria
S. Font-Mayolas
Affiliation:
5Departament de Psicologia, Institut de Recerca sobre Qualitat de Vida, Girona, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

This study examines the prevalence of drug use and substance dependence among university students majoring in Social Education at the University of Girona, aiming to comprehend its impact on the mental health of this population.

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of drug use and substance dependence among university students majoring in Social Education at the University of Girona and to examine gender differences in consumption patterns.

Methods

A cross-sectional, observational, and analytical design was employed. The study population consisted of 258 enrolled students in the program. Convenience sampling was used, with a sample size of 156 students, confidence level of 95%, and margin of error of 5%. The final obtained sample size was n=161. An ad hoc questionnaire was used to collect data on general characteristics and drug use. Statistical analysis included Pearson’s Chi-square tests and Student’s t-tests.

Results

A total of 161 students participated (88.2% females, 11.2% males), with an average age of 21.61 years. Among them, 75.8% grew up in structured families, while 24.2% came from dysfunctional families. Regarding socioeconomic status, 4.3% considered themselves from a low-class background, 32.9% from low-middle class, 51.6% from middle class, and 11.2% from upper-middle class.

Substance dependence was identified in 29.2% of the participants: alcohol (20.3%), MDMA (11.1%), cocaine (10.3%), psychopharmaceuticals (4.8%), and hallucinogenic mushrooms (4.0%). No significant differences were found in SDS scale scores for determining dependence thresholds for any substances except for cannabis (Males = 6.13 vs. Females = 1.80, t = 3.886, df = 83, p < .001). A total of 55.6% of males showed substance dependence compared to 25.7% of females (X^2 = 6.853, df = 1, p = .009).

Conclusions

This study highlights a concerning prevalence of drug use and substance dependence among university students majoring in Social Education at the university, with certain gender-based consumption pattern differences. These findings emphasize the urgency of intervention approaches targeting mental health and substance prevention in this specific population.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S215 - S216
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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