Students with and Without Relatives with Problematic Substance Use: Do They Differ in Health, Substance Use and Study Success?

D.M. van Namen*, S.R. Hilberink, H. de Vries, A. van Staa, G.E. Nagelhout

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study is (1) to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of students with relatives with problematic substance use and to examine differences between students with and without relatives with problematic substance use in (2) health, (3) substance use and (4) study success. We analyzed these differences in bivariate analyses between 881 (15.6%) students in a Dutch university population with relatives with problematic substance use (referred to as Affected Family Members (AFMs) and 4,781 students without such relatives. AFMs reported poorer health and used more substances, especially cannabis, than did non-AFM students and drank more often alone than did their peers. AFMs had more frequently study delay and missed class more often because of drug use. AFMs with more than one relative with problematic substance use had poorer health than AFMs with only one relative. Effect sizes were small to moderate. Health and educational professionals should provide support to deal with difficult life circumstances, for example, trauma-informed care programs.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)417–437
Number of pages21
JournalInternational Journal of Mental Health and Addiction
Volume22
Issue number1
Early online date2 Aug 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

Keywords

  • ACADEMIC-ACHIEVEMENT
  • ADDICTION
  • ADOLESCENT CHILDREN
  • ADULT CHILDREN
  • ALCOHOL
  • Academic Achievement
  • Affected Family Members
  • Alcohol Drugs
  • Education
  • FAMILY-MEMBERS
  • PERFORMANCE
  • Problematic Substance Use
  • RELIABILITY
  • SOCIAL SUPPORT
  • VALIDATION
  • Affected Family Members; Alcohol Drugs

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