PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF EMOTIONAL DISORDERS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Emotional disorders are mental health problems that include anxiety and depression and are characterized by symptoms such as sadness, loneliness, worries and a feeling of worthlessness. University students who are adolescents and young adults face multiple challenges such as academic overload, constant pressure to succeed, perceived financial inadequacy, and competition with peers; all of which may be further worsened by risky behaviors such as substance use. Previous studies among Nigerian University students have largely come from public Universities. Thus the situation among undergraduate students attending private Universities is yet unclear. Studies have established that alcohol and tobacco are indeed the „gateway drugs‟ among adolescents in Nigeria in line with the global pattern and Substance use among college students has been an issue of concern in society for many years. This study therefore aimed to determine the prevalence of substance use and emotional disorders among private University undergraduates and to explore the relationship with subjective academic performance Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study in which three Universities was randomly selected from nine private Universities in Osun state. A total of 416 undergraduates were purposively selected from the three Universities based on the number of students in each school. A socio-demographic questionnaire was used to obtain background information about the students. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was used to assess for depression and Anxiety; Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test(ASSIST) to screen for substance use; and the Rosenberg‟s Self- esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem levels of the students. Results: The total number of respondents was 416, 61.3% were female and 38.7% were males. The age ranged between 15-24 years with a mean age of 20.4 ± 3.2 years. The reported prevalence of emotional disorders shows Depression 11.7%, Anxiety 34.7% and self-esteem 9.8%. About 32.1% of respondents have ever used alcohol, 5.8% used monthly, 4.6% used weekly and 3.8% used daily. 46.1% of those who had at one time used any substance had a 3-fold increased risk of self-reported poor academic performance. Substance use was significantly associated with subjective academic performance (p=0.005). Among the emotional disorders, only depression (p=0.008) and anxiety (0.001) were significantly associated with subjective academic performance. Conclusion: This study revealed that emotional disorders and substance use were significantly associated with the subjective academic performance it is recommended that a comprehensive approach is needed to prevent substance use. Individuals, families, schools and religious institutions have a role to play in ensuring that society is safe