Abstract
Background: Students pursuing higher education are struggling with psychological distress, which in turn may negatively affect their academic self-efficacy and study progress. Although psychotropic drug use is widespread and increasing, patterns of psychotropic drug use among students are not well-known.Aim: To describe prevalence and gender differences in psychotropic drug use among Norwegian students in higher education, and to examine associations with level of psychological distress.Methods: The study is based on data from the Norwegian Student's Health and Well-being Study (SHoT), 2018, a national survey including all fulltime students aged 18–35 years in higher education. Our sample included 49,836 students, 69% females. Use of psychotropic drugs and psychological distress (The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist [HSCL-25]) were self-reported. Generalised linear models were used to assess associations between psychological distress and psychotropic drug use.Results: Psychotropic drug use was more frequent among female than male students: 4 vs. 2% daily antidepressants usage; 5 vs. 3% last month use of anxiolytics/tranquillisers; and 8 vs. 5% last month use of hypnotics. In contrast, male students reported use of performance enhancing drugs more often than females (7 vs. 5%). Adjusted associations between high level of psychological distress (HSCL-25 ≥ 2.0) and use of psychotropics, showed an about 2-fold increased relative risk, largely consequent across drug classes and genders.Conclusion: Prevalence and gender patterns of intake of the most common psychotropic drug classes among Norwegian students are comparable to previous studies. Unexpectedly, among students with moderate to severe psychological distress, the patterns of psychotropic drug use were more or less identical between genders.
Highlights
Psychological distress is highly prevalent among university and college students worldwide [1] and often has negative effects on several domains of students’ life [2, 3]
A recent literature review found that psychological distress was more prevalent and severe among university students compared to their non-studying agematched peers in the general population [5]
The aim of this study was to study prevalence and gender differences of psychotropic drug use among Norwegian university students based on SHoT 2018 data, and to examine associations with psychological distress symptom load
Summary
Psychological distress is highly prevalent among university and college students worldwide [1] and often has negative effects on several domains of students’ life [2, 3]. Preventive interventions, early detection, and optimal treatment of mental illness among students, as well as general improvement of students’ mental health, have become urgent matters. Both non-pharmacological interventions and psychotropic drugs are cornerstones in the treatment of mental illnesses, and women are more frequent users of both mental healthcare services and these drugs, compared to men [8, 9]. A case study from Australia confirmed an increasing trend in psychotropic drug prescribing to patients aged 16–24 year with mental disorders from 2009 to 2014, with higher prescription levels in women compared to men [18]. Psychotropic drug use is widespread and increasing, patterns of psychotropic drug use among students are not well-known
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