Mentor/s
Dr. Jessica Samuolis
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Very little is known about the relationship between alcohol use and identity distress among college students, despite the elevated rates of alcohol use and identity distress among this age group. The use of an ecological model serves as a framework to identify alcohol-related covariates that may be related to identity distress to better understand the relationship between these two issues. The current study examined alcohol-related covariates across multiple levels of the ecosystem (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, etc.) among a sample of college students. An online survey was emailed to undergraduates that assesses alcohol and drug use, perceptions, experiences and consequences related to drinking, and campus characteristics. An identity distress scale which assesses distress related to domains such as long-term goals, career choice, and group loyalties was also included in the survey. Results showed that a range ecological factors significantly correlate with identity distress. For example, factors such as perceived positive effects of alcohol, peer pressure to use substances, a campus environment that promotes alcohol use, and the lack of awareness of an alcohol prevention program on campus were some of the covariates found to be significantly related to identity distress. This investigation provides a comprehensive approach to understanding the association between alcohol use and identity distress and can inform prevention programming for college students.
College and Major available
Psychology
Location
University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-24-2019 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-24-2019 5:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Meaningful
Alcohol-Related Ecological Covariates of Identity Stress among College Students
University Commons
Very little is known about the relationship between alcohol use and identity distress among college students, despite the elevated rates of alcohol use and identity distress among this age group. The use of an ecological model serves as a framework to identify alcohol-related covariates that may be related to identity distress to better understand the relationship between these two issues. The current study examined alcohol-related covariates across multiple levels of the ecosystem (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, etc.) among a sample of college students. An online survey was emailed to undergraduates that assesses alcohol and drug use, perceptions, experiences and consequences related to drinking, and campus characteristics. An identity distress scale which assesses distress related to domains such as long-term goals, career choice, and group loyalties was also included in the survey. Results showed that a range ecological factors significantly correlate with identity distress. For example, factors such as perceived positive effects of alcohol, peer pressure to use substances, a campus environment that promotes alcohol use, and the lack of awareness of an alcohol prevention program on campus were some of the covariates found to be significantly related to identity distress. This investigation provides a comprehensive approach to understanding the association between alcohol use and identity distress and can inform prevention programming for college students.
Students' Information
Nikole Rudis, Psychology, 2020
Nicolin Goodin, Psychology, 2019