Ha-Yoon Lee, BA, Research Coordinator, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Jason R. Kilmer, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Irene M. Geisner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Kathryn B. Vincent, MA, Director of Operations, Center on Young Adult Health and Development, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD
Amelia M. Arria, Ph.D., Professor, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, MD
Karen L Sokolowski, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY
M. Dolores Cimini, Ph.D., Director, Center for Behavioral Health Promotion and Applied Research, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, NY
Geetha Subramaniam, M.D., Deputy Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD
David Liu, M.D., Team Leader, Medical Officer, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD
Mary E. Larimer, Ph.D., Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Introduction: Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS) has been on the rise on college campuses during the past several years with an estimated 17% of students engaging in NPS. The vast literature on outcome expectancies for alcohol and other substance use has shown that expectancies are associated with initiation and maintenance of alcohol and other substance use and have also been found to predict NPS among college students. Moreover, motives for NPS—particularly academic motives—have been found to be a strong predictor of NPS, despite recent research that has found no academic benefit associated with engaging in NPS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether these motives mediate the relationship between stimulant outcome expectancies and NPS and related negative consequences.
Methods: Participants included n=173 control group participants who engaged in past-year NPS at screening and completed baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments as part of a larger brief intervention study targeting NPS. Participants completed measures assessing stimulant outcome expectancies, stimulant motives, frequency of engaging in NPS, and stimulant-related negative consequences during the past 6 months.
Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that academic motives mediated the relationship between stimulant academic outcome expectancies and stimulant use and related consequences. However, recreational motives did not significantly mediate the relationship between stimulant recreational outcome expectancies and use and consequences.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that academic motives for engaging in NPS account for the relationship between academic-related stimulant expectancies and NPS and related negative consequences. Brief interventions and prevention campaigns targeting NPS among college students should correct misperceptions of the academic benefits of engaging in NPS and should provide alternative resources for improving study skills and time management.
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