Alcohol and other substance use among medical and law students at a UK university: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Abstract

Study participants had high levels of substance misuse and anxiety. Some students' fitness to practice may be impaired as a result of their substance misuse or symptoms of psychological distress. Further efforts are needed to reduce substance misuse and to improve the mental well-being of students.

Patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among European university students

“…While almost a third of participants reported hazardous drinking, this prevalence is lower than previously found in studies that have used the AUDIT (5,(10)(11)(12)(13). Results are similar to those reported by Stock et al (17), with the majority of their sample reporting low risk while 24% of males and 13% of females scored 2 or 3 (indicating problem drinking) on the CAGE screening tool.…”

“…It is worth noting that it is difficult to compare results from the current study with results from previous studies due to variation in definitions of hazardous drinking used; some studies used definitions based on number of drinks (18) while other studies using tools like the AUDIT (10,11) or the CAGE (17). When defining hazardous drinking using screening tools, there is a need to consider the cut-offs values that are used to classify hazardous consumption.…”

“…Some researchers argue that using a lower cut-off for AUDIT score (5 or 6) produces better sensitivity and specificity. We decided to use AUDIT scores below 8 as a cutoff because this cut-off is frequently reported in past papers (10,11). However, had we elected to define hazardous drinking in line with other cut-offs then interpretation of our results may have changed.…”

“…Using such tools, the scale of hazardous drinking in European university students can be illustrated. Based on AUDIT scores, 40% of English students recruited from seven English universities (10) were identified as hazardous drinkers, as were 40% of law students and 44% of medical students, recruited from a single English university (11). Data from a sample of Spanish university students (12) showed that 58% of men and 52% of women engaged in 'risky drinking' (defined as a score of 5 for women and a score of 6 for men on the AUDIT).…”

“…offs: Low risk (0-7); Hazardous drinking(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15); Harmful drinking(16)(17)(18)(19); Probable dependence. The standard cut-off for a postive screen is 8+.…”