Relationship Between Mindfulness, Academic Anxiety, and Substance Use Among Undergraduate Students
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EVALUATION AND PHYSICAL REPORT August 25, 2026 DOI: 10.56201/ijmepr.v10.no4.2026.pg1.13 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Correlational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 194 |
| Population | Undergraduate students at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu State, Nigeria |
| Measures | Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Academic Anxiety Scale, Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key points | Mindfulness had a small significant negative relationship with substance use (r = -.17), whereas academic anxiety was not significantly related to substance use (r = -.10). The authors conclude that mindfulness is a protective factor against substance use among undergraduate students. |
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between mindfulness, academic anxiety, and substance use among undergraduate students in selected tertiary institutions in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study was necessitated by the growing concern over substance use among students and its negative effects on academic performance and psychological well-being. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The participants consisted of 194 undergraduate students, comprising 107 females and 87 males, with a mean age of 20.76 years (SD = 2.62), selected through multi-stage sampling techniques from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and Institute of Management and Technology. Data were collected using the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), Academic Anxiety Scale, and Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used for data analysis. Findings showed that mindfulness had a significant negative relationship with substance use (r = -.17, p < .01), while academic anxiety did not significantly relate to substance use (r = -.10, p > .05). The study concluded that mindfulness is Introduction a protective factor against substance use among undergraduate students. It was recommended that tertiary institutions introduce mindfulness-based intervention programmes to promote healthier coping strategies and reduce substance use among students.