Peer pressure, substance abuse and depression .
Abstract
The study focused relationships between peer pressure, substance abuse and depression among
male students in their third year at Makerere University. The objectives of this study were to
investigate whether peer pressure affects substance abuse among students, to determine whether
substance abuse leads to depression, and to find out whether peer pressure causes depression
among the students. Included in this research is also analyses of peer pressure in its different
forms, different substances abused by students as well as prevalence of depression among the
students. The study was conducted in Makerere University which comprises of over 38,000
students in various colleges. The study used a correlational research design where 50 respondents
were selected using purposive random sampling. Data was coded and analyzed using Statistical
package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 23. Frequencies and percentages were generated to
analyze descriptive data of the respondents as well as levels or peer pressure, substance abuse
and depression, while relationships between peer pressure and substance abuse, substance abuse
and depression, and, peer pressure and depression were analyzed using Pearson product moment
correlation coefficient. Results of the study indicated that many students experience levels of
peer pressure, and that there is a significant relationship between peer pressure and substance
abuse. The study also showed that substance abuse is a predictor of depression while peer
pressure and depression have no significant relationship