Maryam Zavar Mousavi - Kavosh Cognitive Behavior Sciences and Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
Amirhossein Tamimi - Kavosh Cognitive Behavior Sciences and Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
Mitra Farsam - Kavosh Cognitive Behavior Sciences and Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
Maryam Kousha - Kavosh Cognitive Behavior Sciences and Addiction Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Background: Substance abuse remains a challenging public health issue, especially among young people. It has been shown that poor sleep and substance abuse may have mutual intensifying effects. This study aimed to evaluate the rates of substance abuse, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption and their association with sleep disturbances among university students in ۲۰۲۱. Methods: The participants were the students of the Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, Iran in ۲۰۲۱. Data were collected through a researcher-made demographic questionnaire, the first two questions of the translated version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).Findings: A total of ۲۲۲ students entered the study from March to August ۲۰۲۱. The rates of substance abuse in the past three months and lifetime were ۳۵.۶% and ۴۵.۵%, respectively. The most common type of substance abuse was related to the ‘other substances’ category. Substance abuse was significantly higher in students living in dormitories and those with a family history of substance abuse. Poor sleep was found in ۳۴.۲% of the students, and substance abuse and alcohol consumption both in the past three months and lifetime were significantly associated with lower sleep quality.Conclusion: This study showed that substance abuse was significantly associated with sleep disturbances. The study results also illustrated an upward trend of substance abuse in recent years among students in Rasht, which may be related to economic issues in the country and/or the effects of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic. Considering the rising prevalence of substance abuse and its impacts on society, policymakers are highly recommended to pay special attention to its risk factors.

Substance abuse, Drug abuse, Substance Use, Students, Sleep disorders