Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use Among a Sample of College Students

Weyandt, Lisa L.; Janusis, Grace M.; Wilson, Kimberly G.; Verdi, Genevieve; Paquin, Gregory; Lopes, Justin; Varejao, Michael; Dussault, Crystal

doi:10.1177/1087054709342212

Cited by 167 publications

(212 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In fact, our data suggest that consumption of prescription drugs for enhancement by Australian university students is lower than that in the USA (McCabe et al 2005;Weyandt et al 2009;Wilens et al 2008) and more similar to that in Europe (Franke et al 2011;Mache et al 2012;Schelle et al 2015). Importantly, the results from this study also support previous CE usage prevalence estimates in Australian university student populations derived by Mazanov et al (2013).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Cognitive Enhancement and Coping in an Australian University Student Sample

2017

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Cognitive enhancement (CE) agents are those purported to improve or augment aspects of cognition such as working memory, creativity, and executive function in healthy individuals. CE by university students looking to improve their academic performance, particularly through the use of pharmacological agents (or nootropics), has become an area of increasing interest for researchers. However, studies on the prevalence of, and motivations behind, students' CE use at Australian universities are limited. This study aimed to contribute a new sample of prevalence data, as well as corroborate previous qualitative research that has suggested that emotion-focused and avoidant coping styles may make students more susceptible to utilizing CE drugs. A sample of N=633 individuals was recruited to complete the BCognitive Enhancement and Student Lifestyle Survey^online. The key questions of interest concerned students' enhancement drug usage habits, usage motivations, and coping styles. Analyses found that 6.32% of students indicated lifetime use of prescription CE agents for the purposes of study-related enhancement. Furthermore, dysfunctional coping strategies were associated with an increased likelihood of both lifestyle and prescription CE drug use. Findings from this study refine current understandings of enhancement drug use in Australia and are contextualized in regard to potential avenues for on-campus health interventions and regulatory opportunities. In particular, helping students to maintain manageable stress levels through identifying less harmful coping strategies may prove useful.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Cognitive Enhancement and Coping in an Australian University Student Sample

2017

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“…Another survey at a large, public, southeastern university found that, of the 1811 student participants, 34% had used ADHD medications nonmedically (DeSantis et al, 2008). A sample of 390 college students found that 7.5% had used prescription stimulants for nonmedical purposes within the past 30 days (Weyandt et al, 2009). Questionnaires collected from 381 students at a midwestern university revealed that 13.7% of participants (17% of men, 11% of women) had taken stimulants for nonmedical purposes (Hall et al, 2005).…”

Section: Methylphenidatementioning

confidence: 99%

Psychostimulants and Cognition: A Continuum of Behavioral and Cognitive Activation

et al. 2013

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“…The increase in stimulant prescriptions has resulted in a corresponding escalation of illicit use, particularly in college students, confirmed by numerous survey results (Advokat et al, 2008;Arria & DuPont, 2010;Hall et al, 2005;McCabe et al, 2005;Rabiner et al, 2008;2009a, 2009bRabiner et al, 2010;Teter et al, 2003;Teter et al, 2005;Teter et al, 2006;Weyandt et al, 2009;White et al, 2006;Wilens et al, 2008). Wilens and colleagues (2008) report lifetime rates of diversion ranging from 16 to 29%, with medical prescriptions being given, sold or traded by students.…”

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confidence: 92%