PERCEIVED PSYCHOSOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NIGER STATE

Abstract

This paper assesses the perceived psychosocial determinants of illicit substance use among University students in Niger State. The study adopted descriptive survey research design as a plan for data collection. Since it is practically impossible to cover the entire population, the researcher sampled 205 (129 male and 76 female) University students for the study using stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire called 'Questionnaire for Psychosocial Determinants of Illicit Substance use among University Students' (QPDISUUS) was used for data collection. Cronbach Alpha method is estimating the reliability index was used and the instrument yielded 0.82 as index of internal consistency. Data collected that relate to research questions were analysed using descriptive statistics while chi-square statistics was employed to test hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that curiosity and ignorance, peer group pressure, traumatic life events and frustrations, availability and accessibility of substance, media influence and societal pressure are some of the perceived psychosocial determinants of illicit substance use among University students in Niger State. The paper recommended that stakeholders in education most especially the University management is advised to establish and fund functional counselling unit to be saddled with responsibility of organising talks on negative consequences of illicit substance use and abuse among the students among others.