College Students With ADHD Have Worse Sleep and More Alcohol Consequences
College students with ADHD who drank alcohol reported worse sleep and more alcohol-related consequences than peers without ADHD, but ADHD did not worsen cannabis-related consequences.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among college drinkers, those with ADHD (n=51) reported significantly worse sleep quality and more alcohol-related negative consequences than those without ADHD (n=50). ADHD independently predicted alcohol consequences but not cannabis consequences.
Key Numbers
51 students with ADHD, 50 without. 52 used cannabis. ADHD independently predicted alcohol consequences but not cannabis consequences.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 101 college students who drink alcohol, with and without ADHD diagnoses confirmed by structured interview. Sleep quality, substance use, and consequences measured by validated questionnaires.
Why This Research Matters
College students with ADHD are at elevated risk for substance problems. Understanding that their vulnerability appears specific to alcohol, not cannabis, could help target prevention efforts.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that ADHD selectively increases alcohol but not cannabis consequences suggests different mechanisms may underlie substance-related problems for each drug.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample size limits statistical power. Cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions. Self-selected college sample may not generalize.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why does ADHD selectively increase alcohol-related but not cannabis-related consequences?
- ?Would longitudinal data reveal whether poor sleep mediates the ADHD-alcohol consequence relationship?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- ADHD predicted alcohol consequences but not cannabis consequences in college students
- Evidence Grade:
- Small cross-sectional sample with diagnostic confirmation but limited statistical power for subgroup analyses.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024.
- Original Title:
- Sleep, Alcohol and Cannabis Use in College Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
- Published In:
- Substance use & misuse, 59(8), 1141-1149 (2024)
- Authors:
- Marsh, Nicholas P, Oddo, Lauren E(2), Murphy, James G(4), Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05519
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do college students with ADHD have more substance problems?
In this study, ADHD was linked to more alcohol-related consequences but did not increase cannabis-related negative outcomes.
Does poor sleep make substance use worse for students with ADHD?
Students with ADHD had worse sleep, but sleep quality did not independently predict substance consequences once ADHD was accounted for.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05519APA
Marsh, Nicholas P; Oddo, Lauren E; Murphy, James G; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea. (2024). Sleep, Alcohol and Cannabis Use in College Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.. Substance use & misuse, 59(8), 1141-1149. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2024.2320376
MLA
Marsh, Nicholas P, et al. "Sleep, Alcohol and Cannabis Use in College Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.." Substance use & misuse, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2024.2320376
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Sleep, Alcohol and Cannabis Use in College Students With and..." RTHC-05519. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/marsh-2024-sleep-alcohol-and-cannabis
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.