Associations Between Cannabis, Cocaine, MDMA “Ecstasy”, and Mental Distress

Recreational use of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication and psychoactive substances make college students susceptible to increased risk of illicit drug use and mental distress. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was administered through Google forms to students across different college campuses. The survey consisted of self-reported questions on demographics, drug usage, and mental distress. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 25.0. There is a statistically significant positive correlation between very frequent usage (above 40 times annually) of cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA with feeling incompetent and worthless (p \u3c 0.05). There is a statistically significant positive correlation between infrequent (approximately 1-2 times annually) MDMA use to specific mental distress experiences (p \u3c 0.05). Results suggest those who abuse psychoactive substances may be inclined to use other psychoactive substances, which could be linked to an increase in mental distress.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2023/1011/thumbnail.jp