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Reliability of college student self-reported drinking behavior
1Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
|May 15, 2007
Summary
College students often underreport alcohol use when initially entering treatment programs. Their self-reported alcohol consumption becomes more reliable after attending educational sessions, influenced by concerns about disclosure.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- College students are a distinct demographic for substance use research.
- Harm reduction is a common approach in college-based treatment.
- Accurate self-reported substance use data is vital for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reliability of self-reported alcohol consumption in college students over time.
- To investigate if mandatory educational programs improve reporting accuracy.
- To explore student perceptions influencing disclosure discrepancies.
Main Methods:
- Examined self-reported alcohol consumption at two time points: program intake and post-program.
- Compared self-reports from Time 1 (intake) to Time 2 (post-program) for the same period.
- Analyzed student explanations for any reported differences in consumption history.
Main Results:
- Students underreported alcohol use at intake (Time 1) compared to their later reports (Time 2).
- This underreporting was linked to students' concerns about the impact of their disclosure.
- Findings supported hypotheses regarding underreporting and its motivational factors.
Conclusions:
- Self-reported alcohol use in college students entering treatment is initially unreliable.
- Educational interventions may enhance reporting accuracy by addressing student concerns.
- Accurate assessment of student drinking behaviors requires consideration of reporting dynamics.
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