When Stimulant Use Becomes Problematic: Examining the Role of Coping Styles

Stimulant use among college students is a significant public health concern due to its consequential effects. Given that many students reportedly use prescription stimulants for academic purposes, empirical investigations are needed to identify those students at risk for prescription stimulant misuse (PSM). The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of coping styles on the association between prescription stimulant use and related consequences. We hypothesized that more maladaptive (vs. adaptive) coping strategies would mediate this association, particularly for underclassmen (freshmen/sophomores) and men. Participants were n = 787 college students across seven universities in the United States who completed an online survey assessing substance use and coping behaviors. Prior to hypothesis testing, we conducted factor analysis on the COPE measure and found support for a three-factor solution, which we named maladaptive coping, adaptive coping, and supportive coping. Prescription stimulant use was positively related to stimulant-related negative consequences. Multiple mediation analyses indicated that the maladaptive coping factor partially mediated this direct association. Multi-group analyses revealed that maladaptive coping style was a significant mediator for college women in the sample, but not men. These results scratch the surface of the relationship between coping and risky stimulant use among college students and imply that the building of coping strategies is a useful target in identifying at-risk students.