Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2020
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Carrie Veronica Smith
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
College students appear to be especially susceptible to prescription drug misuse (PDM), as studies using U.S. college student samples report prevalence rates anywhere from 4% to as high as 43% (Benson et al., 2015). Honors students are a particularly understudied group in PDM research, although several theories associated with substance misuse give reason to believe honors students may be more or less at risk of PDM. The present study examined PDM and motives for four types of prescription drugs (stimulants, opioids, tranquilizers, and sedatives) between honors and non-honors students. Participants in the current study included 588 undergraduate students from a large southeastern university recruited through a campus-wide survey sent to a stratified random sample of the student population. Results indicated there were no significant differences in PDM rates between honors and non-honors students. Results also revealed no significant differences in motives, with the exception of non-honors students being more likely to misuse stimulants to improve grades. Implications for future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Haupt, Emily, "High on Grades and Drugs? An Analysis of Prescription Drug Misuse and Motivations among Honors and Non-Honors College Students" (2020). Honors Theses. 1469.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1469
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