Young adults are at higher risk for crashes due to inexperience, risk-taking, and impaired driving. A study examines the link between commuter college students’ mental health and crash risk, highlighting the added impact on their education, especially in transit-limited South Florida.
Tag: College Students
MSU research: Social media bridges connection gaps for students with disabilities
MSU research: Social media bridges connection gaps for students with disabilities

Addressing Food Insecurity on Campus with Expanded Resources
In 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service reported that 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during the year. The USDA defines this as households that were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members due to insufficient money or other resources for food.
Thriving in the Transition: Tips on Preparing for College Life
Whether a student is moving onto campus for the first time or commuting from home, the transition from high school to college can challenging. Stephanie Marcello, chief psychologist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, discusses how first-year students – and their parents – can prepare to manage the stressors that accompany this life stage.
LGBTQ+ students in collegiate recovery programs are doing very well but have unique needs
Compared to their cisgender/heterosexual peers, LGBTQ+ college students are at an elevated risk of substance use and mental health challenges. While collegiate recovery programs provide an array of support to students in recovery from substance use disorders, scarce research has examined the unique needs of LGBTQ+ students within this population.
Fighting impostor syndrome: Binghamton University researcher aims to help students struggling with self-doubt
Psychology lecturer focused on countering negative mindset
Alcohol-Induced Blackouts May Be Linked to How a Person Drinks, Not Just How Much
Certain drinking behaviors beyond just the quantity of alcohol consumed may predict the likelihood a person will experience an alcohol-induced blackout, a condition where someone is conscious and engaging with their surroundings but will be unable to remember some or any of what occurred.
College Students Appear Resistant to Using 988 Crisis Phone Line
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched across the U.S. nearly 2 years ago. But college students — who are particularly vulnerable to substance use problems and related mental health crises — appear disinclined to use it, according to new research.
Depression, anxiety common among college students
Depression and anxiety among college students is a growing public health problem. And new research from the University of Georgia suggests the problem may be worse for students who aren’t the same race as most of their peers.
Factors associated with marijuana use among high-risk college students
The past decade has seen a significant increase in marijuana use among U.S. college students. This increase has coincided with notable changes in national and local cannabis laws and policies, and perceptions of the associated drug’s risk over the same period.
Feeling Homesick? How to Manage It at College
Leaving for college – whether you are a first-year student or returning to continue your college career – is a major transition, one that can cause feelings of being lost, lonely or missing home.
Homesickness is common at this stage in life and can arise at any time during a college student’s time away, although it is most common in the first few months. Stephanie Marcello, chief psychologist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, discusses how to manage homesickness and adjust to new surroundings.
Emailed boosters after online interventions can help college and university students cut back on excessive drinking
Alcohol consumption is known to be pervasive and problematic among college and university student populations. New research has found that while online interventions alone can effectively help a typical student cut back on excessive drinking, emailed boosters after online interventions may be needed for heavier drinking students. These results and others will be shared at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.
Global Study First to Compare COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among College Students
A cross-cultural comparison study is the first to investigate factors that influenced the decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine in an international sample of college students from the U.S., Israel and the Czech Republic. Results provide evidence of country-specific varying perceptions of susceptibly, severity, benefits and barriers associated with a virus and vaccine.
Self-identified Gender Reporting Measures Perform Well in Study of College Students’ Drinking Behavior, Potential Model for Gender Inclusivity in Future Research
A tool allowing research participants to self-identify beyond binary categories of male and female performed well in a study of college student drinking. The study, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, demonstrates a method to conduct research that is more inclusive of the increasing number of individuals identifying as transgender, nonbinary, and other genders who may be at higher risk for alcohol use disorders. The study encourages the development of future research instruments that capture a broader diversity of genders in order to promote a more representative body of scientific knowledge and a more complete understanding of health influences and outcomes.
Why We Need Sustainability to Achieve Public Health
Expert discusses the role that sustainability – especially at universities – has on impacting public health
Where and with Whom College Students Drank during the COVID-19 Pandemic was Associated with Different Types of Consequences
During the COVID-19 pandemic, college students drinking outside the home or at home alone experienced a wider range of drinking consequences compared to those more frequently drinking at home with others, either in-person or virtually, according to a new study. Drinking at home also carried considerable risk. The findings, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, suggest that intervention and prevention efforts may be more effectively tailored by considering the contexts in which students are drinking.
Traveling from NH for National Championship Tournament in Seattle: Franklin Pierce U. Ravens Men’s Soccer Team Brings Cafeteria Lunch Ladies with Them
As the Franklin Pierce U. soccer team travels to Seattle for the NCAA-Division II national championship, they will bring campus cafeteria workers Merrilyn Patch and Arwen Mellor, affectionately known as the university’s “lunch ladies,” to cheer them on.
Why We Want to Drink, What That Has to Do with Genes, and Why it Matters for Our Alcohol Risk
Motives for drinking — to party, to conform, to cope, or to feel good — are consistent through young adulthood, and genes play a role in how those motives influence alcohol use, a new study of college students suggests. Understanding the mechanisms linking genetic variants to differences in drinking behaviors could present opportunities for predicting individuals’ vulnerability to Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and intervening to prevent it. Genetic factors are responsible for about 50% of individual risk of AUD. Much of how that heritability functions is unexplained, however. The relationship between genes and drinking behavior is complex, involving thousands of genetic variants that each have small effects. Critical factors known as endophenotypes, or intermediary phenotypes, affect how an individual’s genetic predisposition manifests as a behavioral trait. For the new study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Environmental Research, investigators sought to determine whether drinking motives are o
Five New Studies Examine Eating Behaviors in Teens and Young Adults
The developmental changes and growing independence that characterize adolescence and young adulthood can make these stages of life both exciting and challenging. New studies at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE shed light on the eating behaviors and diets of teens and young adults around the world.
Situational Motives: Reasons for Forgoing Drinking or Cannabis Use Among College Students
A study has revealed college students’ reasons for abstaining from alcohol or cannabis, including on days when they had initially planned to use one or both substances. The analysis, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, extends research into the so-called “intention-behavior gap” by being the first study to examine reasons for non-use following an intention to drink or to use cannabis. The findings could inform strategies for alcohol and substance use prevention and intervention on college campuses.
UAlbany Receives $1M for Program to Prevent HIV and Substance Abuse
The University at Albany has been awarded $1 million for the creation of a five-year, comprehensive program aimed at preventing HIV infections and substance use disorders among students.
Misuse of stimulants linked to other drug abuse
College students who misuse stimulant drugs or nootropics like Adderall or Ritalin are also likely to drink heavily and use other drugs, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
Food Insecurity During College Years Linked to Lower Graduation Rate
A study led by a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that food insecurity among college students is associated with lower college graduation rates and lower chances of obtaining a bachelor’s or advanced degree
Rutgers Champion of Student Health and Wellness is Retiring
When Melodee Lasky joined Rutgers University 19 years ago, behavioral and mental health services were scattered across the individual colleges with little coordination. Psychiatry and the Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program were part of student health, but counseling services were separated and college-affiliated. Lasky, a physician who recognized the connection between physical and emotional wellness, recommended that mental and behavioral health be integrated within the framework of student health. That led to the creation of CAPS – Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services – a program that helps about 4,500 students each year.
FoMO Nudges Students Toward Future Happiness
A new study found that college students are challenging traditional ideas of where and how they invest their time. They are preparing for the future by investing in relationships and leveraging the “fear of missing out,” or FoMO, as a reminder to seize the day.
How to Stay Safer as College Students Return Home for Thanksgiving
A Rutgers infectious disease expert discusses considerations for families welcoming home college students and how to celebrate Thanksgiving safely

Family talks about finances impact students’ money views
Students whose families talked openly about money reported feeling less stress and higher optimism when it came to money management and their future finances.
Neurotic college students could benefit from health education
College students are under a lot of stress, even more so lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on certain personality types, especially neurotic personalities, college health courses could help students develop a more positive stress mindset, according to research from faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

College students access eating disorders therapy via phone app
Studying college women with eating disorders, a team led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that a phone-based app that delivers a form of cognitive behavioral therapy was an effective means of intervention in addressing specific disorders.
Colleges that emphasize activism have more civically engaged students, new research shows
Students tend to be more engaged in activism if the school that they attend emphasizes social and political issues, according to new research featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Which College Students Struggle to Accurately Report Their Own Alcohol Use?
How young adults perceive their own drinking habits may distort their self-reported alcohol use, according to a new study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The study scrutinizes the accuracy of participants’ self-reported drinking — a frequent component of alcohol research. Self-reports are prone to inaccuracies, especially in recalling past use. To improve accuracy, researchers often incorporate both “real time” self-reports and retrospective assessments. When these two reports diverge, however, the implications for research are not well understood. For this study, investigators assessed how these two types of self-report differ and what factors may predict inaccurate self-reporting. Unraveling these influences has the potential to improve the accuracy of some alcohol research — and, ultimately, better support people experiencing hazardous drinking.
Playing Video Games Linked with Unhealthy Behaviors for College Men
Results from a new study suggest that college men who play video games tend to exercise less and have poorer eating habits compared to non-gamers.
Female college students more affected academically by high alcohol use than men
Female college students appear to be more affected by high alcohol use than men, which may lead to less interest in academics, according to new research including by faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
University Awards Degree to Student Who Died from Covid-19
“Robert was someone who just kept working and working, taking a class or two even as he held a full-time job,” said the university’s president. “He truly embodied the work ethic and the dedication to learning that many of our students represent.”
Students Who Up Their Cannabis Use Face Increased Risk of Alcohol Problems
Cannabis use can worsen some consequences of alcohol use among young adult drinkers over time, according to a new study which tracked the frequency of cannabis use and negative drinking outcomes among college students over three years. More than one in five young drinkers use cannabis, often (but not always) at the same time as drinking alcohol. This is a concern because the effects of cannabis might combine with those of alcohol to increase negative outcomes of drinking, such as impaired driving or developing an alcohol use disorder Although previous research has suggested a link between cannabis use and alcohol consequences, there have been few long-term evaluations of the impact of fluctuations in cannabis use on alcohol consequences over time. The latest study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, was conducted by researchers in Toronto, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York.

WVU demographics expert explains potential impact Coronavirus response for Census data
Dr. Christiadi, a research associate with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, explains how the timing of the COVID-19 outbreak and the U.S. Census threatens accurate data collection and is particularly confusing now for college students,…

NIH funds Chicago-based study of chronic fatigue syndrome and mono in college age students
Researchers at DePaul University and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago will examine potential connections between chronic fatigue and mono in college students under a new five-year study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, one of the National Institutes of Health.