Arkansas Collegiate Substance Use Assessment

Overview:

The Arkansas Collegiate Substance Use Assessment is an annual statewide assessment designed to collect self-reported information on college students’ substance use, the behaviors and consequences related to use, and students’ perceptions of substance use on college campuses across the state of Arkansas. The study is conducted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Survey Research Center; is sponsored by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training; and funded by Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services with continued support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (SAMHSA/CSAP) via the Substance Abuse Block Grant.

The online survey is administered in the fall every year. It is provided at no-cost to all Arkansas institutions of higher education.

Importance:

The Arkansas Epidemiological Outcomes Work group indicated that there is a statewide deficiency of collegiate-level data measuring incidence of substance use within the college population (AFMC, 2019). The collegiate level data is important based on a variety of factors, but this data is particularly relevant given that “this category of the population may present as a high risk for first-time users of illicit substances” (AFMC, 2019, p. 13). The data collected for this assessment represents the first systematic Arkansas statewide data collection where college students self-reported information related to substance use, consequences of use, and perceptions of substance use on college campuses. Data collected as part of this assessment will be utilized to create safer campuses and will leverage the Substance Abuse Block Grant, which is set to help plan, implement, and evaluate activities that prevent and treat substance abuse on college campuses.

College enrollment represents a distinct phase in life that initiates the transition from adolescence to independent adulthood and a period of increased exposure to the pressures of alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use. Over the past decade there has been a nationwide increase of cannabis, stimulant, and other illegal drug use across U.S. college campuses to the point that substance use disorder has become one of the most pervasive health problems for American college campuses. Substance use disorder is also a major behavioral and health concern among the college students themselves. Substance use is associated with multiple negative outcomes for college students, as well as associations with significant general medical and psychiatric mortality and morbidity for some students. There is an added importance for higher education institutions to address substance use among students given the unique nature of planning treatments for colleges (e.g., aspects of confidentiality, unique financial constraints, potential university involvement/oversight).

Administering the Survey:

A link and sample language/ materials will be provided by the UA Little Rock Survey Research Center.
Each participating college sends an invitation email to the students, faculty, and staff they want to invite, providing the url to access the survey.
Colleges should check with their Internal Review Board on required procedures for approval of administering the survey.

Tips for Community Members to Advocate for the Survey:

Why participate?
- Schools will receive information on their students’ substance use, consequences of use, & what students think their peers are doing. Each school will receive a report of their campus results, comparing their data to the statewide data, if requested.
How to participate?
- There’s no cost to participate.
- The survey is online. Each school will send an invitation email to their students asking them to participate.
- Schools need to administer the survey in the Fall during the designated times.
- Statewide results are reported December-January following the distribution of the assessment.
- Participating schools will receive an electronic report of findings compared to statewide responses.

Additional Questions:

For more information or to register contact Dr. Derek Slagle at drslagle@ualr.edu

School Survey Reports:

Each participating school will receive a report of their results, highlighting major findings among their students. These data can provide important information to school administrators and guide their decision making on school policies, prevention programs, and collaboration with community partners. The State also benefits from the survey, receiving a statewide report of results which they use to guide planning and prevention efforts across Arkansas.