Medicate to Graduate: Academic Strain and Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use Among Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The nonmedical use of prescription stimulants has been prevalent on college campuses in recent years. Previously, nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NMPSU) has been associated with increased use of other illicit substances, drug abuse, school dropout, and arrest. It is, therefore, imperative to understand the etiology of NMPSU for prevention, intervention, and harm reduction purposes. This study builds upon previous research on the role of academic strain in NMPSU by (a) considering a measure of strain that is more consistent with strain theory and (b) extending the examination to include graduate students. By utilizing an original data set of 1,121 undergraduate and graduate students at a Southern urban university, our overall results are consistent with general strain theory but mixed with respect to the role of academic strain in particular. The implications of our study for academic strain are discussed.

Exploring the use of cognitive enhancement substances among Portuguese university students

“… 43 Recent results from a US-based dataset of 1121 undergraduate and graduate students indicated that the latter are twice as likely to report nonmedical prescription stimulant use than undergraduate students. 63 However, the present study did not find a significant association between the number of years spent at the university and reported PCE substance use. Summing to preuniversity usage, the usage pattern thus seems to remain individually stable, also influenced by the lower societal acceptance and stigmatization of using psychoactive substances.…”

Why and how social media addiction affects employee outcomes: role of sleep deprivation in the hospitality industry

“…Sleep is de ned as: "a state of immobility that consists of greatly diminished physical responsiveness that allows for reorganization of neural activity [49]" while, sleep deprivation is referred to as "short sleep duration with poor sleep quality [50]". Poor mental health, heart diseases, drug usage, aggressive behavior, and body overweight are commonly known adverse health effects of sleep deprivation [51].…”

Feigning Symptoms to Obtain Prescription Stimulants: A Vignette-Based Study on Its Conditions

“…Prescription drugs are an indispensable resource for curing illnesses and injuries and for the relief of chronic symptoms. However, there is also a growing demand for the nonmedical use of such drugs, for example, to get high, lose weight, or increase cognitive performance (Faraone et al, 2020; Fuermaier et al, 2021; Hurst, Eassey, Baldwin, & Ten Bensel, 2021; Maier, Ferris, & Winstock, 2018; Teter, DiRaimo, West, Schepis, & McCabe, 2020). Next to buying these drugs on illegal markets, users try to obtain medications by feigning symptoms to get a prescription.…”