Recreational use of prescription stimulants among college students
Date
2008
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Abstract
The current study investigated characteristics of individuals participating in recreational use of prescription stimulant medication, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine salts, in a Western United States university sample. The researcher recruited students from introductory psychology courses to take a Recreational Stimulant Use Survey that included questions on illicit drug use in addition to questions concerning recreational prescription stimulant use. Results indicated that the overall prevalence rate for lifetime recreational prescription stimulant use was 13.0%. The author found no significant differences in lifetime prevalence rates comparing non-Hispanic White individuals to minority students. In addition, the author found that the majority of individuals used prescription stimulant medication to increase concentration while studying. Finally, the author identified a significant relationship between motive for use of prescription stimulant medication and method of ingestion, indicating that those using medication for studying may be more likely to swallow the medication rather than ingest it intranasally.
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Subject
Adderall misuse
college students
methylphenidate use
nonmedical stimulant
prescription stimulant use
clinical psychology