Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons^™

Prescription Drug Misuse Among Graduate Students: Prevalence And Links To Mental Health And Academic Burnout, Madison De Gruiter

Honors Theses

The aims of this study are to examine the prevalence of prescription drug misuse (PDM) among doctoral students and assess associations between PDM and anxiety and burnout in this population. Additional analyses analyzed differential associations by doctoral degree type (i.e., research versus professional programs). A sample of doctoral students (n=131) affiliated with the University of Mississippi participated in an anonymous survey to assess research aims.

Recovery Experiences During Covid-19, Emily Lafond

Honors Theses

People with substance use disorder are a particularly at risk population who experienced greater hardships during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as previous literature revealed. The present study aims to explore the experiences of individuals with substance use disorder accessing recovery support services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-report survey data was collected from 144 participants who self-identified as having substance use disorder and engaged in recovery support services since COVID-19 began. Thematic analysis was used to analyze survey data and 4 main themes were identified: (1) Shifting terrains in recovery, (2) Connecting through a screen, (3) Heightened hardships, and (4) Grow …

Increased Incidence Of Substance Use And Substance Use Disorders Among Mexicans That Have Migrated To The United States, Emily Hock

Honors Theses

The United States is becoming increasingly older and more racially and ethnically diverse, with Mexican Americans adults aged 65 and over becoming the frontrunners in population growth. Substance use disorders are high among this particular population, with alcohol and tobacco being the most common culprits. Previous research suggests that the prevalence of drinking and smoking among Mexican Americans is increased compared to Mexicans living in Mexico, and substance use rates are highest in those most accustomed to United States culture. While acculturation may initially increase exposure to healthcare options, Mexican Americans are disproportionally uneducated and have lower socioeconomic status than …

University Of Mississippi Student Perceptions Of The Relationship Between Stimulant Use And Mental Health, Elizabeth Mccutcheon

Honors Theses

College students are situated in a perfect storm for stimulant misuse and mental health issues, while living admits a mental health crisis of never-before-seen proportions, in combination with a global pandemic and the normal amount of stress associated with a university course load. It is important to address college student’s perceptions of the risks and benefits of stimulant use in order to see if they realize the severity of the problem of abuse and address it. The addiction of examining mental health in relation to stimulant abuse can provide new insight to the motivation behind the rise in stimulant abuse …

The Effects Of Involvement In Religious Practices On Recovering Substance Users., Taylor Currier

Honors Theses

This paper reviews empirical studies focused on spirituality and its effects on those in the recovery process from substance abuse. This paper will look at qualitative studies as well as quantitative research to see which form has derived the best results on how spirituality has affected substance abuse recovery. Prolonged recovery is the goal for those that struggle with substance use. Behavior change is an important in sustaining sobriety with those dealing with addiction. It is predicted that those who engage in spiritual growth within their community have a higher likelihood of prolonged recovery than those that do not believe …

Safe Injection Facilities, Timothy Kwong

Honors Theses

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In 2016, a total of 63,632 persons in the United States died from drug overdoses; the age-adjusted rate was 19.8 deaths per 100,000 persons.” There have been countless programs with the sole purpose of reducing the amount of drug related deaths. Some with positive outcomes and others with negative outcomes. Since there is no feasible method of eradicating the problem as a whole, the next logical thing to do would to be creating effect prevention programs.

Safe Injection Facilities (SIFs) have been around for over three decades. They are widespread …

Facing Addiction In College: The Effects On Alcohol, Drugs, And Academics, Alexis Frazier

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive overview of collegiate recovery communities (CRCs) and collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) across the U.S for high risk students that suffer from alcohol and drug abuse. After finding the effectiveness of these programs and assessing the students’ needs in college, this research makes a recommendation for Western Michigan University to create a collegiate recovery program. A collegiate recovery program (CRP) is a college or university that provides a supportive environment within the campus culture that reinforces the decision to engage in a lifestyle of recovery from substance use (ARHE, 2019). This …

Analysis Of Opioid Hospitalizations In Michigan Counties, Stephanie George

Honors Theses

The escalating opioid epidemic has affected the United States on both national and local levels. In the state of Michigan, the opioid overdose death rate increased by 13.3% between 2014 and 2015 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Due to a gap in the literature regarding opioid hospitalization rates, this study focused on the demographic correlates of unemployment, health insurance, and poverty level in relation to the Michigan counties that indicated the highest opioid hospitalization rates in the 2013-2015 time period. The five Michigan counties with the highest opioid hospitalization rates were Oscoda, Arenac, Roscommon, Clare, and Benzie County. …

Relationship Between Parental Alcoholism And Family Unpredictability, Kamie L. Stephens

Honors Theses

This research is a retrospective study on adult children of alcoholics using a previous researcher’s, Dr. Ross, unpredictability scale. Family Unpredictability is defined as “a lack of consistency in family behaviors and regulatory systems,” (Ross and Hill, 2000). There is currently a lack of research related to parental alcoholism and its effect on family structure. The researcher hopes to gain insight on the relationship between parental alcoholism and family unpredictability. Previous research suggests children growing up with a caregiver who is an alcoholic experience a higher level of unpredictability in the home. Examples of this unpredictability are: a decreased amount …

Using Sbirt As An Intervention For Substance Use In Public Schools, Amanda Higgins

Honors Theses

In Kalamazoo County, youth substance use is on the rise. In recent years (2012-2014), alcohol use has nearly doubled in the adolescent population. With the easy accessibility of alcohol in Kalamazoo, alcohol use among adolescents will continue to rise if early intervention protocols are not implemented. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), could be the model of intervention within Kalamazoo public schools, if implemented correctly. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), SBIRT is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce, and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs. Public …

Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of 3.0 Mg/Kg Mephedrone In Rats, Nathyn Thompson

Honors Theses

Consumption of a prominent synthetic cathinone known as mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone) has become a popular alternative to club drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine within the past decade. The pharmacological mechanisms that contribute to its subjective effects have yet to be fully characterized and are thus warranted for investigation. The present study employed drug discrimination methods to train eight male Sprague-Dawley rats to discriminate injections of 3.0 mg/kg mephedrone from saline. Various doses of mephedrone, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), d-amphetamine (AMPH), cocaine, (+)-methamphetamine (METH), and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) were investigated for their ability to substitute for the stimulus cues of the training …

Cycling Through Life: The Bingeing Tendencies Of Women, Danielle Macgregor

Honors Theses

The social environment on many college campuses in the United States contains both positive and negative aspects that influence students. Among the various lifestyle changes experienced in college are shared residential living spaces, more frequent social events with peers, a dining meal plan replacing home cooked meals, and an increased sense of independence. These new factors may lead to bingeing behaviors. Determining the connection between binge drinking, binge eating, and binge exercising—a common cycle of behavior that may emerge at the traditional four-­‐year institution—to gender expectations, social group relationships, and self-esteem helps explain the possible catalysts of these behaviors. Binge …

Psychostimulant Use Among Undiagnosed College Students: Revealing Perceptions Anddebunking The Myth Of Cognitive Benefits, Rebecca Elizabeth Shait

Honors Theses

Previous research suggests there is a rising trend of non-medical psychostimulant use on college campuses. The current study examined the prevalence of non-medical psychostimulant use, assessed students’ motivations and perceptions of the cognitive and emotional benefits, and attempted to influence their views by giving them real scenarios where psychostimulants are not effective for individuals without ADHD. Results revealed that there is a prevalence of non-medical psychostimulant use at Union College. Non-medical psychostimulant users had a more positive perception that these medications enhance performance, cognition, memory, mood/energy, and motivation to start and complete work. There were no significant interactions or differences …

The Growing Crisis In Maine: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Olivia Avidan

Honors Theses

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a Maine epidemic. In addition to having medical repercussions, NAS is intrinsically linked to social, political and economic factors. NAS is a conglomeration of symptoms, short-term and long-term, that affect a child that has been exposed to opioids in utero. These factors that impact NAS are interdependent. The past decade is characterized by a dramatic rise in NAS cases in Maine. This paper explores the social, political and economic landscape surrounding NAS in an effort to describe fully the syndrome’s effect on both individuals and the community as a whole.

Gender, Self-Esteem And Athleticism As They Predict Binge Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Catherine O'Brien

Honors Theses

There is a plethora of research focusing on athleticism, self-esteem and alcohol consumption but few studies have aimed to find a connection between these three dimensions. While much of the previous research focused on just two of these dimensions, the present study aims to uncover how these dimensions influence and impact one another. Students from Union College participated in a survey-based study in which they were asked to complete three surveys, one for each dimension. These surveys were used to identify level of athleticism, self-esteem and binge drinking behaviors among athletes and non-athletes at Union College. Based on previous research …

Examining The Effects Of Exercise On Stressed Individuals Alcohol Expectancies, Maria Magavern

Honors Theses

The current study examined the effect of exercise habits on alcohol expectancies and drinking behaviors. Previous research has suggested that under times of stress, individuals, especially without alternative effective coping mechanisms, often turn to alcohol (Cooper, Russell, Skinner, Frone, & Mudar, 1992). Exercise and alcohol produce many of the same psychological effects and both serve as stress reducers (Brown, Read, Marcus, Jakicic, Strong, Oakley, Ramsey, Kahler, Stuart, Dubreuil, & Gordon, 2010). The Discounting Principal reveals a tendency to discount all other causes when there is support that a given cause is already known to be responsible for a given event …

Rising Obesity: An Unintended Consequence Of The Anitsmoking Campaign?, Hunaiz Patel

Honors Theses

Obesity is the fastest growing health issue currently in the United States, as its prevalence has risen to over 30%, up from 14% in 1980 (Chou et al. 2004). As a result, the percentage of the population dealing with chronic health conditions has also been on the rise. Although the obesity epidemic is on the rise, smoking rates in the United States have declined from 33% to under 20% over the same time period, and from about 42% in 1965 (Todeschini et al. 2010). Thus, many economists have inferred that the declining smoking prevalence may partially be contributing to the …

Do Cigarette Taxes Make Smokers Happier Than Nonsmokers?, Mark Chaskes

Honors Theses

Public health advocates justify cigarette taxes, claiming they discourage smoking, which results in a healthier population. However, the more pertinent issue with which health advocates should be concerned is that of smoker well‐being. In this paper, I investigate whether cigarette taxes make smokers relatively more satisfied than nonsmokers. Additionally, because poor smokers have a higher discount rate than wealthy smokers, and therefore, perceive the tax differently, I explore the effect that income, in conjunction with a cigarette tax increase, has on smokers’ life‐satisfaction. Using cross‐sectional and time‐series data from the 2005‐2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, this paper utilizes …

Drug Addiction In Youth: The High School And College Level, Shirley Anne Percy

Honors Theses

In a world undergoing enormous transitions, where familial and social supports are eroding and established beliefs are gradually being demolished, it is natural that many will try to modify their awareness--to ease the uncertainties of the day, to avoid psychic pain, to achieve pleasure, to find faith. The old gods falter; the old goals seem pointless. What is left but to chemically dull the senses or, alternatively, create new illustions, new utopian worlds? So it has been in every period of stress; so it is today.

Man changes his world enormously but himself minimally. He has created instant news, transportation …

Hallucinogenic Drugs, James S. Watkins

Honors Theses

Hallucinogenic drugs have been used for centuries by primitive. man to produce mystic effects usually in religious rites. Perhaps these drugs would not have obta:lned the forefront. they had for while if two Harvard professors, Dr. Timothy Leary and Dr. · Richard Alpert, had not conducted campus experiments with undergraduate students. Working mainly with mescalnie and psilocybin, Leary and Alpert were trying to observe the emotional impact of the drugs and the consciousness broadening power of the drugs. No one, seemed to realize that Alpert and Leary were convinced that the mystic insight one could get from psilocybin would be …