Academic Performance, Absenteeism, and Drug Use in Emerging Adulthood

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on a purposive sample of 727 university students, aged 18 to 29 years (M = 21.09, SD = 2.45), grouped based on their psychoactive substance use in the past month. The study aimed to explore drug use and its relationship with academic performance among university students in Castilla y León, Spain. Additionally, it sought to determine whether significant differences in academic performance were associated with potential predictor variables, including absenteeism, substance use, traits of emerging adulthood, and other health-related factors such as depression, anxiety, and stress. The results indicated higher consumption rates of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis compared to those reported in the Household Survey on Alcohol and Drugs in Spain (EDADES 2022) for individuals aged 15 to 34 in Castilla y León. A relationship between substance use and academic performance was identified, with performance differences observed based on the type of consumer. Although the predictive contribution of the variables included in the regression model was low (10.6%), it remained significant, suggesting the need to refine the model by incorporating additional variables to enhance understanding of the phenomenon. These findings can assist universities in designing preventive interventions.