Prosocial behavior, stress, and problematic internet use: Pathways to substance misuse in college students

The current cross-sectional study examined whether perceived stress, problematic internet use, and prosocial behavior predict substance misuse in Turkish young adults, while taking the sociodemographic variables into account. The study sample consisted of 451 undergraduate students from a public university in Türkiye. Among the sample, 58.8% (n = 265) were females and 41.2% (n = 186) were males, with their ages grouped from 18-40 years (M = 21.20, SD = 2.35). Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to investigate the association of perceived stress, problematic internet use, and prosocial behavior with substance misuse, while controlling for sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, gender, and socioeconomic status). The findings first showed that perceived stress was modestly and positively associated with substance misuse, indicating that young adults with higher stress levels were more likely to misuse substances. Additionally, problematic internet use had a stronger association with substance misuse than stress and other variables. Lastly, prosocial behavior significantly accounted for additional variance in substance misuse, even after controlling for stress, internet use, and demographic variables. Overall, the results of the study suggest that people experiencing high stress and excessive internet use are more likely to use maladaptive coping strategies, including substance misuse. Also, the findings underscore the importance of psychosocial processes, such as prosocial behavior, in reducing the risk of substance misuse. Hence, prevention and intervention programs that target improving adaptive coping strategies, reducing problematic internet use, and promoting prosocial behavior are essential in decreasing the risk of substance misuse in college settings.