Emotional Stability and Student Drug Use

Abstract

The focus of this paper is upon college drug use as it relates to the individual student user. As with the academic dropout, the college drug user is seen as reflecting an emotional problem and possibly is one and the same phenomenon. Drug use is merely symptomatic of an untoward reaction of emotional problems. The MMPI scale analysis is used as a measure of emotional stability; drug users and non-users are analyzed to indicate and predict the extent of emotional problems within the college population. It is our contention that most contemporary effort directed solely toward the control and prevention of drug use on campus is in error. The concern about drug use is secondary. The real problem is one of helping the problem student achieve a better emotional adjustment while in college.