Abstract

With the rise of accidental fentanyl overdoses and recreational opioid use in college-aged populations, the need for campus-based overdose prevention and harm reduction measures is at an all-time high. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is an FDA-approved, lifesaving, medication which can be intranasally delivered by laypersons. Naloxone reverses opioid overdose, essentially buying time until an overdosing individual receives emergency medical attention. While some previous studies have examined access to naloxone on college campuses, to my knowledge no study has explored distribution of naloxone in residential college areas, such as dormitories and within Greek housing. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to identify themes in student perception surrounding naloxone, as well as potential processes and barriers/facilitators to naloxone distribution within residential areas (e.g., dormitories, sorority housing, and fraternity housing.) This study addresses these issues through qualitative, semi-structured, interviews with a convenience sample of students at the University of Central Florida, with questions informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Proctor et al. implementation outcomes. Seven students (n = 7) participated in the interview, all of whom either had personal experience with substance use disorder (SUD) or were close to someone with SUD. I analyzed data for themes using a mixed deductive-inductive template analysis approach in Dedoose software. Resulting themes relating to barriers to distribution within residential areas were as follows: lack of knowledge; fear of negative consequences from external parties; desire of administrators to maintain image of a “drug free campus”; lack of funding for distribution; student desire to avoid stigmatization. Resulting themes relating to facilitators to distribution in residential areas included the following: active involvement of peers; providing free naloxone; educating students about where to get and how to use naloxone; physical accessibility; and anonymous ways to access naloxone. Targeting residential areas for naloxone distribution was also discussed as a theme. Types of people who could/should be involved in naloxone distribution included the following: residential assistants; secondary distributors; pharmacists; UCF leadership; sorority and fraternity leaders; and student liaisons. Study results could be used to inform efforts at UCF and other colleges to expand naloxone access.

Thesis Completion

2022

Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Dr. Barbara Andraka-Christou

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Degree Program

Psychology; Health Management and Informatics

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Release Date

12-15-2023

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