The association between depression, anxiety and substance use among Canadian post-secondary students

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the association between depression, anxiety and substance use among Canadian post-secondary students. METHODS: This study used data from the spring 2016, American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) survey. It includes 43,780 college students from 41 Canadian post-secondary institutions. The exposure variables of interest were alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use, and the outcome variables of interest were diagnosis or treatment for depression and/or anxiety. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze our data. RESULTS: <0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study found significant associations between depression, tobacco use and cannabis use, and anxiety and alcohol use among post-secondary students. These conditions should be screened concurrently for improved outcomes among this vulnerable population.