In the short term, caffeine can provide alertness, increased focus and mood. There are groups of individuals that when they consume a moderate to high amount of caffeine, can be exposed to major health risks. A major sensitive group of individuals is children, whose brains and body are still in development. In a cross sectional study, researchers found that high caffeine consumption in children was associated with higher levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. (Consuming over 1000mg of caffeine per week was the threshold in which these correlations were found.) 

Sensitive Groups of Caffeine.

Richards, G., & Smith, A. (2015). Caffeine consumption and self-assessed stress, anxiety, and depression in secondary school children. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 29(12), 1236–1247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881115612404

Reference for Sensitive Groups of Caffeine

The vast majority of college students who drink caffeine do so to stay awake and because it tastes good. Other reasons include alleviating stress, improving concentration or energy levels, and some social pressure reasoning.

Creighton University

Although not considered to be classified as a substance use disorder, caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world, with 92% of college students consuming beverages with caffeine every day. Beverages can range from tea, coffee, energy drinks, and more. The average amount of caffeine consumed by that 92% is around 173mg.

Caffeine Use with College Students

Mahoney, C. R., Giles, G. E., Marriott, B. P., Judelson, D. A., Glickman, E. L., Geiselman, P. J., & Lieberman, H. R. (2019). Intake of caffeine from all sources and reasons for use by college students. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 38(2), 668–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2018.04.004

Reference for Caffeine Use with College Students

Reasons for consuming caffeine in college

Due to caffeine's nature, those who consume it more regularly are more likely to have difficult sleep. College students who consume caffeine sleep less and experience more disruption throughout the night. Moreover, they are more likely to experience insomnia and other sleep related issues.

Caffeine on Sleep

A recent study explored the association between academic performance on exams and caffeine consumption. The results indicated while many students consume caffeine on a regular basis, there was no direct association or link to academic performance. The group that was explored was over 500 medical students in Saudi Arabia. These findings disagreed with previous findings, that energy drinks (caffeinated beverages) were associated with lower academic performances on a group of students in Lebanon. 

Caffeine on Academic Performance

Dahlawi, M., Hennawi, Y. B., Baharith, M., Almurakshi, M., Bawashkhah, A., Dahlawi, S., Alosaimi, S. B., Alnahdi, F. S., Alessa, T. T., Althobity, O., & Obaid, M. (2024). The Association Between Caffeine Consumption and Academic Success in Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia. Cureus, 16(4), e57975. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.57975

Reference for Caffeine on Academic Performance

Only correlations have been found by research between caffeine consumed and depressive/anxiety symptoms and behaviors. However, those who drink caffeine also appear to experience positive emotions and behavior shifts like alertness and focus.

Caffeine on Mental Health of College Students

Researchers at Villanova University report that anywhere below 200mg and 300mg of caffeine per day is the proper amount. It is important to know that there is a great amount of nuance to this topic. Depending are particular characteristics, caffeine can negatively impact one's health. Too much caffeine can result in symptoms of insomnia, restlessness, stomach discomfort and more. It is also important to consider how caffeine is consumed. It comes in many different forms, coffee, energy drinks, pills, and more. Some substances labeled as "caffeinated" also include harmful additives that can result in negative health consequences.

What is a healthy amount of caffeine to consume?

Bertasi, R. A. O., Humeda, Y., Bertasi, T. G. O., Zins, Z., Kimsey, J., & Pujalte, G. (2021). Caffeine Intake and Mental Health in College Students. Cureus, 13(4), e14313. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14313

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