Help, You Know I Need Someone: Evaluation of Sources to Help Substance Use Issues According to a Survey of American College Students

Background Young adults are at risk for substance use and substance use disorders (SUD), while also being less likely to seek treatment.Purpose Determining the knowledge that this population has toward themselves and peers regarding treatment options.Methods We conducted an online survey of college students (N = 236) in the United States to evaluate substance‑use-related treatment options across a range of sources: intimate partner; friend; parent; other relative; mental health professional; phone helpline; doctor; minister/religious leader; alcoholics anonymous (AA)/narcotics anonymous (NA). We presented participants with vignettes describing the hypothetical use of one of eight substances leading to SUD symptoms in a peer and in oneself.Results Responses indicate that participants were able to identify mental health professionals as the most likely source of help for both the peer and themselves, but ratings depended on whether the substance described was used by a peer or themselves.Discussion These data support education about SUDs for young adults and access to trained professionals.Translation to Health Education Practice Because young adults engage in substance use, identifying this population allows us to examine factors that influence the selection of treatment options and to provide information about those options, as described in NCHEC sub-competencies 1.1.3, 1.1.5, and 1.1.6.