College students are frequently described as stressed and more likely to engage in alcohol consumption by themselves, public health officials, the media, and the general public. Stress has been perceived to develop due to workload, negative emotions, adverse life events, and dramatic, intense changes (Kent et al., 2022). The college experience is a time of great change and fluctuation. Additionally, Alcohol is a major public health concern, and statistics highlight this statement beyond speculation. On the average college campus, 44% of students report binge-drinking every 2 weeks while 19% report binge-drinking less than three nights per week (Vetreno & Crews, 2018). Is there a potential link between alcohol use and stress in college students? Throughout the first semester, we sent an IRB certified survey across campus. With user consent, the anonymous online survey asked for age, frequency of substance use, and stress levels using a psychometric scale. Questions 8-17 were based on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) to measure participant stress levels. At the end of the survey, 92 participants had responded. A p value of 0.4 meant we were unable to prove a direct correlation between alcohol and stress levels. Nonetheless, stress and alcohol remain, independently, issues in our society and throughout college campuses. Although our data did not support a link, there is data that can offer insight into those struggles. 85% of college students in our survey well above the threshold of low, manageable stress. Regardless of how much or little they had to drink in the past week. With the previous research in the field, stress alone can compound to numerous different life problems.
Courtney Van Winkle, Individualized Studies and Sustainability Major
Sarah Heit, Individualized Studies and Neuroscience Major
Advisor(s): Jacqueline Daugherty, Western Program
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