Students Admit Using ADHD Drugs for Better Grades
18 percent surveyed said they've used meds like Adderall to stay alert when cramming
FRIDAY, May 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Almost one in five Ivy League college students acknowledge they've used stimulants to perform better in school even though they haven't been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study shows.
Varsity athletes and students in fraternities and sororities were more likely to report using the medications. However, about half of those who'd used the drugs said they'd done so fewer than four times, suggesting that regular use of the drugs is limited to a small number of students overall.
It's not clear if the students surveyed are representative of their university or of American colleges at large. Still, the findings reflect other research that suggests stimulant use is a problem on college campuses across the country, said study co-author Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York.
"We need to reduce the improper use of these medications," he said, "and counsel students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder about the legal and health risks of giving their medications to other students."
In the study, the researchers surveyed 616 college students -- none of whom were diagnosed with ADHD -- at an unidentified Ivy League university in 2012. The students responded to an anonymous online questionnaire about their use of stimulants such as Adderall.
The drugs, chemical cousins of cocaine, "will speed you up," explained Matt Varga, an assistant professor of counselor education and college student affairs at the University of West Georgia. "People can stay up for hours on end," and feel a higher level of alertness than they'd get from caffeine in coffee, said Varga, who was not involved with the study.
The drugs pose various medical risks, especially when used with other drugs or when a person has a medical problem such as an undiagnosed heart condition, said Sean Esteban McCabe, a research associate professor with the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender.
Of the students surveyed, 13 percent of sophomores, 24 percent of juniors and 16 percent of seniors said they'd used prescription stimulant drugs at least once.