College Students' prescription drug misuse over time and links with their mental health and well-being.

ABSTRACT: Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is a mounting public health concern in the U.S., particularly among college students. The field's reliance on cross-sectional designs and limited controls for other substance use has failed to capture the specific role of misuse for longer-term health. Therefore, the present study tested associations between trajectories of PDM problems and college students' mental health and subjective happiness over time. Participants were 300 students who completed a baseline assessment (T1) and follow-ups every 6 months for two years (T2-T5). Participants self-reported problems associated with PDM and mental health. Results from univariate latent growth models indicated that problems with PDM were initially on an increasing trajectory. Based on parallel process models, pr

SUBMITTER: Kouros CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10842301 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature