Introduction

The dangers of using various types of psychoactive drugs are well-known to university students all over the world. The current research sought to learn more about the prevalence of psychoactive drug abuse and its contributing factors among Bangladeshi university students.

Material and methods

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 400 university-level students who have consumed drugs 90 days prior to the study, in Khulna, Bangladesh from November to December 2019. Psychoactive substance dependence was measured using a self-reported 5-item Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS-5). The χ2 test of association and multinomial logistic regression is used to identify associated drivers of psychoactive substance dependence.

Results

More than two-thirds of the participants (77.8%) were male, about half (44.5%) were between 21 and 23 years of age and more than two-thirds lived in urban areas (67.2%). For mild, moderate and severe forms of psychoactive substance dependence, the average prevalence was 38.5%, 37.8% and 23.8% respectively. Age, sex, living situation, family economic situation, number of siblings, peer control, depression, academic performance, drug use for entertainment or relaxation and satisfaction with spending free time have all been described as major factors contributing to the occurrence of psychoactive substance dependence. The prevalence of psychoactive substance dependence among university students is on the rise and our research is one of the few studies that analyses contributing factors and identifies correlations between multiple critical factors among Bangladeshi university students.

Conclusions

To stop psychoactive substance use among university students in Bangladesh, some recommendations can be made on the significant factors associated with their substance use identified in this study.