Prescription opioid misuse among university students: A systematic review

Abstract

Misuse of prescription opioids has substantially increased in the past decade among the general population, including among university students. Relative to the literature concerning opioid misuse among the general population, little information is available regarding the college student population. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature concerning the prevalence of prescription opioid misuse among the university student population. Results: The lifetime estimate for prescription opioid misuse among general populations of students ranged from 4% to 19.7%, with higher estimates for special student populations. Students most at risk for misuse of prescription opioids are those who report higher rates of psychological distress, depression, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and white, male students who use alcohol and illicit drugs. Conclusions: Findings from this study underscore the need for opioid prevention and intervention programs on university campuses.

Keywords:

• College students
• misuse
• nonmedical use
• prescription opioids

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number G20RR030883. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.