Investigating Addiction and Stigma among Undergraduate Students
Session Title
Healthcare and Mental Health
Faculty Mentor
Kathleen West, Ph.D.
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Abstract
This research project aims to better understand the current stigma surrounding addiction and substance-use disorders among college students. This project will allow researchers to understand undergraduate college students' actual knowledge about addiction, their beliefs about it, and the stigma surrounding it at Winthrop University.Understanding these factors can better inform educational efforts about substance use disorders and healthcare and dispel myths and doubts about the reality of addiction. Students were sampled from Winthrop University. Data was collected via a multi-part survey with questions modified from various prior sources that were specifically combined for this project. Participants were asked to self-rate their perceived bias towards addiction and substance use disorders. Then participants were asked to state if they believed statements about addiction were true or false. Common misconceptions about addiction were assessed by asking participants to evaluate whether or not they would trust, be interested in, or work with someone with a substance use disorder. Preliminary results found that students from Winthrop University had misconceptions about addiction and substance-use disorders, such asFuture research will continue to investigate ways to reduce the stigma surrounding substance-use disorders.
Honors Thesis Committee
Kathleen West, Ph.D., Mike Sickels, Ph.D., Giancarlo Anselmo, Ph.D.
Previously Presented/Performed?
Winthrop University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023.
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
Investigating Addiction and Stigma among Undergraduate Students
This research project aims to better understand the current stigma surrounding addiction and substance-use disorders among college students. This project will allow researchers to understand undergraduate college students' actual knowledge about addiction, their beliefs about it, and the stigma surrounding it at Winthrop University.Understanding these factors can better inform educational efforts about substance use disorders and healthcare and dispel myths and doubts about the reality of addiction. Students were sampled from Winthrop University. Data was collected via a multi-part survey with questions modified from various prior sources that were specifically combined for this project. Participants were asked to self-rate their perceived bias towards addiction and substance use disorders. Then participants were asked to state if they believed statements about addiction were true or false. Common misconceptions about addiction were assessed by asking participants to evaluate whether or not they would trust, be interested in, or work with someone with a substance use disorder. Preliminary results found that students from Winthrop University had misconceptions about addiction and substance-use disorders, such asFuture research will continue to investigate ways to reduce the stigma surrounding substance-use disorders.
