Alcohol abuse is a prevalent problem among college students, with negative consequences on academic performance, social interactions, and well-being. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and challenges of sobriety for recovering adults returning to college. Sociocultural theory was used to…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has highlighted the risk of non-users among college students using illegal prescription stimulants due to misinformation and incorrect assumptions. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of college students who do not use stimulants on perceived risks, social…

As the global population continued to have broader Internet access, primarily through the rising use of smartphones, further study was needed regarding the symptoms and repercussions of Internet Addiction. A new term was coined for the levels of anxiety generated when a person was separated from their smartphone--nomophobia. The purpose of this…

University students' smartphone usage in academic settings is commonplace. In this dissertation, I aim to explore different sides of smartphone usage among university students to address the gap in prior research and reach more accurate findings. I utilized various research methodologies to examine the research objective. I started by observing…

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA, 2015) more than one in three college students binge drinks, one in five uses an illicit substance, and one in seven meets the clinical criteria of having a substance abuse disorder. These surveys do not include items to determine if respondents are in recovery;…

College-age students represent a significant portion of the U.S. population dealing with the ravages of our nation's growing addiction crisis. One challenge associated with substance use disorder that is often overlooked is the impact of addiction self-stigma on the lives of those that struggle with substance abuse issues. One way that colleges…

Smartphones and their impact on academic success was chosen as the research topic for this dissertation. This was chosen because smartphones have become very popular tools for many people, especially for students in an educational setting. Further, the use of these devices and others, such as laptops and tablets, has aided students in boosting…

This study used appreciative inquiry and was designed to explore university awareness of Internet gaming addiction and whether the university was prepared to address Internet gaming addiction as a community. Data collection for this study included interviews of a sample of university professionals, a field journal, and review and analysis of an…

This causal comparative study examines if Addiction Studies (AS) courses affect college students' knowledge and behaviors surrounding substance use. There are two focus areas of this study. First, to examine if AS courses predict a change in drug and alcohol use behaviors in college students. Second, to gain an understanding surrounding a drug and…

Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) are university-sanctioned initiatives for students in recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. Given the ever-rising rates of alcohol and opioid use and misuse, a great need exists to understand how to provide support for those who are considering recovery or who choose a recovery lifestyle in college.…

This research analyzes the variables that may impact Internet addiction and information disclosure among college students in two Midwestern universities of both public and private status. The correlation between the locus of control, emotional intelligence (EI), and narcissism to Internet addiction and information disclosure was examined. The…

Gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction that disproportionally affects college students as a population group and can disrupt college careers. While gambling disorder has not traditionally been one that institutions of higher education have addressed, the rapid growth of legalized gambling in the United States and the resulting widespread…

Though there are at least 12.4 million community college students, accounting for 44% of all undergraduates within the United States (Cohen & Brawer, 2008), little academic research has explored the mental health needs of community college students as a distinct population ( Floyd, 2003; Townsend & LaPaglia, 2000; Townsend, Donaldson,…

Research suggests that gambling is similar to addictive behaviors such as substance use. In the current study, gambling was investigated from a behavioral economics perspective. The Multiple Choice Procedure (MCP) with gambling as the target behavior was used to assess for relative reinforcing value, the effect of alternative reinforcers, and…

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether peer involvement, family involvement, media within the school campus, and cultural beliefs about college life were related to student involvement in risky behaviors, such as binge drinking, illicit drug use, risky sexual behavior, and problem gambling. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model was…