The study analyzed the relationship between college students’ drug usage, societal expectations, and mental health and investigated the approaches for promoting the mental health of college students. Substance abuse and societal expectation have an impact on the mental health of college students. Drug use can worsen the mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies (Johnston et al., 2022). The study illustrates that social expectations of college students may vary by culture, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The education level and socioeconomic status cause anxiety, depression, psychoticism, obsession, irresistibility, and interpersonal sensitivity among college students. Students who are married, unemployed and younger students use the emotional-oriented approach. Also, students who are unmarried and employed use the problem-oriented approach. Previous research has found that social expectations affect mental health differently by gender, culture, and ethnicity, increasing stress and anxiety and affecting mental health (Zeng & Li, 2022).
The research was significant as it can potentially improve college students’ success and society’s well-being. The research will help to support college students personally and academically by addressing substance abuse and societal expectations. Drug abuse and mental health problems may make the students feel they cannot handle the current world’s new academic and social pressures (Zeng & Li, 2022). Drug use and societal expectations can worsen these pressures, harming college students’ mental health (Zeng & Li, 2022). Similarly, in the study, students who were married and unemployed experienced more anxiety. Both studies show the results of pressure, which may cause mental health. Gaudet et al. 2022 believe gender norms can affect students’ mental health and time management as women expect to balance academics with caregiving.
In contrast, men are expected to focus on their careers (Gaudet et al., 2022). The proposed findings also will illustrate that participants who will be married use a submissive approach more. Similarities in both studies illustrate that gender and the submissive level of an individual play a vital role in determining their mental health. How students balance their career and personal goals results in pressure, which might result in stress and anxiety. As students balance educational and other obligations, this pressure can cause stress, anxiety, and depression (Dewantara et al., 2021). In the proposed findings, students at a higher level of education had higher levels of depression. The increase in these mental health problems results from the higher pressure building between them and their responsibilities.
The study had various strengths worth recognizing, including but not limited to; the sample size used was quite large, with a total of two hundred participants. The sampling procedure included a representative sample where the participants included males and females aged between 18-25 years, people from different races, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The study used the BSI and WCI measurements, which use the GSI to indicate the overall level of distress. There were confounding variables, such as excluding the students who were using drugs for medication from participating in the study. The study’s main limitation was that it used a convenience sampling method due to inadequate sampling methods where the participants were strictly from Stony Brook University and were only between 18-25 years old.
According to the study, substance abuse and social expectations affect college students’ mental health. Stress and anxiety cause substance abuse and mental health issues. Mental health and substance abuse stigma can make it hard for college students to seek help, worsening the issue (Dewantara et al., 2021). The study suggests that substance abuse and societal expectation affect college students’ mental health. This study will help to support college students personally and academically by addressing substance abuse and societal expectations. New research should develop strategies to help college students access better facilities where they can get assistance from drug use and problems associated with societal expectations. By prioritizing the mental health needs of college students, one can help them achieve academic and personal success and eventually benefit society.
References
Zeng, S., & Li, L. (2022). Analysis and Countermeasures of related factors between mental health and physical exercise of Law College Students. Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 31(1), 17-25.
Gaudet, S., Marchand, I., Bujaki, M., & Bourgeault, I. L. (2022). Women and gender equity in academia through the conceptual lens of care. Journal of Gender Studies, 31(1), 74-86.
Dewantara, J. A., Hermawan, Y., Yunus, D., Prasetiyo, W. H., Efriani, E., Arifiyanti, F., & Nurgiansah, T. H. (2021). Anti-corruption education is an effort to form students with character humanist and law-compliant. Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan, 18(1), 70-81.
Johnston, L. D., Miech, R. A., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., Schulenberg, J. E., & Patrick, M. E. (2022). Monitoring the Future national survey results on Drug Use, 1975-2021: Overview, key findings on adolescent drug use.
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