Prevalence and Perceptions of Illicit Substance Use Amongst Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Substance Abuse Research

Background:

• Illicit substance use among medical students is recognized as unprofessional conduct by the General Medical Council.
• Prior studies indicate illicit drug use is present within UK medical student populations.
• This research addresses the prevalence and perceptions of illicit substance use in a specific medical student cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of illicit substance use among a single cohort of medical students.
• To quantify usage rates across different years of study and gender identities.
• To gather insights into student perceptions of this behavior.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous online questionnaire comprising nine questions on illicit substance use and three demographic questions.
• Quantitative research design utilizing survey data.
• Statistical analysis performed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS).

Main Results:

• 201 out of 927 medical students (21.7%) completed the survey.
• 50.7% reported lifetime illicit substance use; 20.9% reported use within the last 30 days.
• Cannabis was the most frequently used substance (45.8% lifetime use), with statistically significant higher rates in males and older students.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of cannabis use in this cohort exceeds previous findings for medical students.
• Male students and those in higher academic years demonstrated increased rates of illicit substance use.
• Further research is recommended to explore the underlying causes for these observed trends.