Dynamics of drug use and experience of stress among students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate drug use dynamics and its role on stress experience among students of tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A sample of 280 drug users in a student population (175 male and 105 female) with mean age of 23.06 and standard deviation of 3.62 were purposively selected as participants for this study. To achieve this purpose, appropriate self-report  instruments were used to collect data for drug use and experience of stress respectively. Descriptive analysis revealed that 180 (64%) of students reported use of drugs other than alcohol while 162 (57.86%) reported harmful use of drugs. A hierarchical linear regression analysis showed positive influence of drug use on stress levels among students, to the extent that 41% of variance in experience of stress was accounted for by the combined effects of drug use, gender and age; with drug use being the best predictor, accounting for 40% of the variance in the experience of stress among students. Based on the findings, implications and limitations were outlined while recommendations were made to the effect that drug abuse counseling is urgently needed as an integral part of tertiary institutions  curriculum by focusing on high levels of stress experience arising from the use of drugs.

Keywords: Drug use, Undergraduates, Tertiary institution, Stress experience, Nigeria