Assessment of Students’ Attitude on the Role of Daystar University Community in Supporting Recovery of Students with Substance Use Disorder

Abstract

The study sought to assess students’ attitude on the role of Daystar university community in supporting recovery of students with substance use disorder. The increasing number of students with drug abuse related cases was an ever-increasing concern among students in most universities. The students were primary consumers of university services and education provided an authentic framework to investigate the role of the university as a community in supporting students with alcohol and drug abuse challenges. The study used the mixed methods study design. The sample size for this study was 443 Daystar University undergraduate students in the Athi River campus. Questionnaires, focused group interviews, and Key Informant Interviews were used to collect data. The study found that majority of the students used drugs other than alcohol and use more than one type of drug on the same occasion. The study established that majority of the students had been hurt (mentally or physically) because they used drugs and that people including their relatives and friends had been worried about their drug use or had said that they were to stop using drugs within the year and in the past. Further, that studied revealed that substance abuse was a serious problem with some students at Daystar University. The study established that students needed to be used as agents of drug abuse prevention in the university. It concluded that majority of students had adequate knowledge about addictive substances with limited treatment related knowledge and substantial social stigma. The study recommended that there was need to involve all the stakeholders including the school administration, lecturers, parents, and the community around the University in the effort to create awareness on harmful effects of drug abuse among the University students. It also recommended a multi-approach to curb that vice from the parents, lecturers, peers, counselors to follows preventive interventions aimed at improving academic engagement and broaden their focus beyond drug use in students.