Magnitude of Substance Use and Its Associated Factors Among the Medical Students in India and Implications for Medical Education: A Narrative Review
Open accessAbstract
Background: Medical students are at an increased risk of developing substance use and related problems (SURP) because of the inherent stress associated with the professional medical course apart from the developmental risk factors. However, this is under-researched. Moreover, a comprehensive review on the prevalence of SURP among the medical undergraduates (UGs) and associated factors is lacking from India. To fill this gap, the current research work is aimed to review the existing literature on the magnitude of the SURP among UGs of India and its determinants. Methods: PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar databases were searched for the original articles studying the prevalence of SURP among medical UGs of India, published from inception till date. Non-original articles, studies on behavioral addictions, and those not directly assessing the prevalence of SURP among the medical UGs were excluded. Results: A total of 39 studies were found eligible for the review. Alcohol (current use: 3.2%–43.8%), followed by tobacco (3.7%–28.8%) and cannabis (1.6%–15%), were the common substances used by the medical students. Among the females, an increasing trend of substance use, particularly of nonprescription sedatives (even higher than males), alcohol, and smoking, was seen. Family history, peer pressure, transition from school to college life, and progression in the medical course were important associated factors. Conclusion: Sensitizing medical students and college authorities, increasing the duration of training on SURP in medical curricula, and providing psychological support for the students with SURP could address this issue.
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These substance use figures are considerably higher than figures for the general population in India and estimates from Indian reviews on medical students.
“These figures are considerably higher than figures for the general population in India and estimates from Indian reviews on medical students.52–54”
From Mental Health, Suicidality, Health, and Social Indicators Among College Students Across Nine States in India (2025) · cites this paper as [53]
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References 75 · Cited by 14
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- [27]Kumar S, Niranjan A, and Kumar M. Pattern of substance abuse among undergraduate medical students in central India: A cross sectional institutional study. Int J Health Sci Res, 2016; 6(1): 43– 48
- [53]Jagnany VK, Murarka S, Haider S,. Pattern of substance abuse among the undergraduate students in a medical college hostel. Health Popul Perspect Issues, 2008; 31(3): 212– 219.
- [59]Das N, Das BR, Bahety H,. Tobacco use among undergraduate students in a Medical College of Assam, India. Int J Health Sci, 2015; 5(6): 1– 9.
- Authors
- Gupta, H., Gupta, S., & Rozatkar, A. R.
- Affiliations
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhopal (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Rozatkar, Abhijit R.
- Venue
- Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-08-31
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 218-226
- ISSN
- 0253-7176 (ISSN-L)
- 0975-1564
- PMC
- PMC9125464
- OpenAlex
- W3197837176
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 0.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Keywords
- substance use, medical students, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, cannabis use, prevalence, associated factors, peer pressure, family history (medicine), transition to college, medical education, India
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