College Adjustment Adds Incremental Validity in Assessing Substance Misuse in College Students

This study examined college adjustment aspects that are associated with substance misuse, complimenting demographic and individual difference factors that have successfully predicted problematic use in past studies. A stepwise regression with college students (N = 936) showed that college-specific depression, knowledge of campus resources, academic success, college-specific anxiety, and social adjustment served as risk factors for problematic substance use, as did self-esteem, negative affect, and spiritual well-being. Ethnicity, class year, and campus location also predicted substance misuse. These results can lay the groundwork for universities to address retention risk factors related to substance misuse.