Free Essay. Psychology of Adjustment

Alcohol consumption is posing significant public health globally. Within the United States, approximately 80 percent of the students drink alcohol to some degree, with about 50 percent of the students being involved in binge drinking (Galbicsek, 2020). In Britain, alcohol consumption among university students was 46.2 percent in males and 28.1 percent in females (Htet et al., 2020). In Japan, about 56.8 percent of male and 47.8 female students are binge drinkers. Alcohol-associated risks include deaths, accounting for about 1825 deaths of students. The associated assault cases are high at 696,000, with 97,000 (Galbicsek, 2020) involving sexual assault, raising the concerns of why the prevalence is so high as answered in this article.

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Friendship has been termed as one of the contributing factors. Most high school friends do not join the same university, leading to discomfort around the new campus mates. Thus, the students are eager to make new friends, therefore opting for alcoholism. The relaxed feeling leads to a false confidence that leads to individuals opening up socially. Peer pressure has also been associated with the need for drinking, with the desire to fit in being a driving force among most students.

According to the ABC news report, stress among students is skyrocketing, with three out of every four students claiming to be stressed (Mars, 2019). To alleviate stress, the students turn to alcohol as it is associated with relieving anxiety and nervousness. Alternatively, the fear of missing out is also a risk factor across all ages, with students stating the need to have a thrilling alcohol-related encounter as the driving force. Boredom, especially during the weekends, may make the students desire to take alcohol for entertainment as drinking is often associated with a temporally feeling of fun and excitement.

Conclusion

Harmful and underage campus drinking poses significant public health concerns as they exert a huge impact on the students' intellectual and social lives. Alcohol has become like a rite of passage that the students consider an integral part of the higher education experience. Some of the factors leading to the prevalence include friendship, peer pressure, stress, fear of missing out, and boredom.

Reference

Galbicsek, C (2020, May 19). College Alcoholism and Binge Drinking. (n.d.). Alcohol Rehab Guide. https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/college-alcohol-abuse/#:~:text=Roughly%2080%20percent%20of%20college

Htet, H., Saw, Y. M., Saw, T. N., Htun, N. M. M., Lay Mon, K., Cho, S. M., Thike, T., Khine, A. T., Kariya, T., Yamamoto, E., & Hamajima, N. (2020). Prevalence of alcohol consumption and its risk factors among university students: A cross-sectional study across six universities in Myanmar. PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229329. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229329

Mars, B. (2019, May 01). Why Do College Students Drink Alcohol? (2019, May 1). The Haven at College. https://thehavenatcollege.com/why-do-college-students-drink/‌