title: The role of mental illness in alcohol abuse and prescription drug misuse: gender-specific analysis of college students.
abstract: The present study examined whether and how collegians' misuse of prescription drugs and alcohol abuse are associated with mental illness and with a lack of mental health care. Nationally representative data were derived from 5,241 full-time American college students who completed the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. We observed the presence of alcohol abuse/dependence and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs to be associated with relatively serious mental illness and with lack of health care. In pursuing gender-specific results, we found that the association between alcohol abuse and mental illness was stronger among females than males.
authors: School of Social Work, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0314, USA. clo@ua.edu
authors: Celia C
authors: CC
authors: Lo
authors: Allison N
authors: AN
authors: Monge
authors: Rebecca J
authors: RJ
authors: Howell
authors: Tyrone C
authors: TC
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D063487:Prescription Drug Misuse; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult