Understanding Attitudinal Correlates of Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Use Among College Students

Purpose. Studies from recent years indicate a steady, ongoing upward trend of non-medical prescription stimulant usage over the last decade. Additionally, misuse and abuse of prescription stimulants is correlated with higher rates of frequent binge alcohol use, marijuana use, and cocaine use. The purpose of this study was to determine how individual attitudes and beliefs correlate with non-medical prescription stimulant use among college students.

Methods. Data are from 215 undergraduate students (49% male, 51% White) enrolled at a large public university in the Southwestern United States who completed an online survey in the Spring of 2014 about their use, attitudes, and beliefs regarding non-medical prescription stimulant use. 

Results. About 17% of students reported non-medical use of prescription stimulants since starting college and 70% said they knew at least one student who used prescription stimulants without a prescription in order to study. Students who said they knew another student with non-medical use in the past year were four times more likely to report personal use (OR=3.86; p<.001). Perceived harmfulness of non-medical stimulant use compared with illegal drug use was not associated with personal use. However, students who believed use of “study drugs” without a prescription was safe were more likely to have engaged in non-medical stimulant use (p<.0005). Beliefs that non-medical use of stimulants give students an unfair academic advantage (p<.01) and is considered cheating (p<.001) were protective against personal use, even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity, year in school, fraternity/sorority membership, and place of residence.

Conclusions. The results of this study support national findings that the non-medical use of prescription stimulant drugs is highly prevalent among college students. Efforts to educate students about the dangers of use could increase perceived harmfulness which has the potential to reduce this use. In addition, among college students the belief that the non-medical use of stimulants is cheating or an unfair advantage could be an important intervention target.