Understanding Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in Young College Students: A Qualitative Work from India Based on Social Norms Theory.

Autor: Ghosh A; Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., George BB; Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Vij J; Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Pillai RR; Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Soundappan K; Dept. of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India., Sharma M; Psychology Department, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India., Basu D; Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Indian journal of psychological medicine [Indian J Psychol Med] 2024 Oct 01, pp. 02537176241283381. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 01.
DOI: 10.1177/02537176241283381
Abstrakt: Background and Objectives: Substance use among young college students in India poses public health challenges. This study seeks to uncover the motivation behind alcohol and illicit drug consumption, applying social norms theory.
Methods: This qualitative research utilized the framework method to analyze data from 14 college students (18-24 years) across various disciplines. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure diversity in demographics and perspectives. Data collection was conducted online. The study used a combination of in-depth interviews (n = 14) and focused group discussions (n = 2). We used AtLAS.ti to facilitate data analysis. We used a mixed inductive and deductive coding approach. A mind map was generated to visualize the complex interplay between social norms and other individual and external mediators.
Results: We identified 10 themes, 20 subthemes, and 42 codes. The themes revealed descriptive (e.g., media and modernization) and injunctive (e.g., availability and legality) social norms that facilitate substance use and social disapproval and stigma that might deter young people from using substances. Family and institutional support were also found to play a protective role. The individuals also weigh the personal consequences (e.g., health and academic harm) and advantages (e.g., coping and relaxation) of substance use, which can influence their decision to use substances. Gendered norms and subtle differences in the social norms between alcohol and illicit drugs were also identified.
Conclusion: Our study illuminates culturally tailored substance use prevention/intervention strategies that operate at the social, individual, and policy levels.
Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
(© 2024 The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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