Relationships between aggression, depression, and alcohol, tobacco: Implications for healthcare providers in student health

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of aggression, depression, and at-risk health behaviors in a random sample of undergraduate college students and to explore the relationship between these variables. The study survey was sent to 2500 undergraduate students; 428 participated, responding to items from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey about alcohol, drug and tobacco, violence and aggression, the Beck Depression Inventory II, and items adapted from the Overt Aggression Scale. Almost one third of the sample reported cigarette smoking, 22% moderate depression, 81% drink alcohol, with 58% drinking more than five drinks at least once in the last month. Reports of verbal and physical aggression were also common. Moderate depression was related to cigarette smoking, physical, and verbal aggression, but not to heavy alcohol use. An understanding of these relationships can be utilized to screen and intervene with students at risk. The results call for increased screening and treatment of depression in college students, and suggest that students with aggressive behaviors are at the highest risk for depression, and should be a group to receive specific attention for screening.