The Implications of AHDH Medication Use Among College Students ©

The Implications of AHDH Medication Use Among College Students
Jeannette Villatoro
BKF9454A
Professor Alina Perez
November 30, 2009







Abstract


ADHD has become a rising diagnosis in our nation, specifically among young people. ADHD is characterized by a pattern of disrupting behaviors that can include hyperactivity and inattention (Carlson, 2005). With this rising epidemic of ADHD, an alarming study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of a college campus and subsequently conducted at that college. Results proved that most of the participants surveyed illegally used ADHD medication for academic or social use. Most of the participants were not educated on the effects of the drug with non-prescription use and a majority of the participants failed to understand the consequences of using the drug. This study dared to uncover the truth of ADHD medication use on college campuses, break the stereotypes of the common users of the drug, and try to discover preventive measures to ward of such astonishing drug use among college students.











The Implications of AHDH Medication Use Among College Students

ADHD medication has been noticed recently for being an epidemic leading to abuse among college students without a medical prescription. With the dangerous side effects of the medications along with the vast availability of these medications to those without a viable medical use for it, it has become a major dilemma in society and on college campuses. One particular study utilized qualitative and quantitative research to delve into the depths of ADHD medication use among college students, why and how it is obtained, and through the composed results of the study the authors attempted to uncover means to successfully combat the devastating use of illegal stimulants among young students today.

Background

The authors of this particular study titled Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: A Multimethodological Approach attempted and successfully proved the perceptions of college students in the matter of ADHD medications as well as the illegal use of such medications (Webb, Noar, 2008). In this research study, qualitative and quantitative research was conducted in the form of surveys, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. The nature and intent of the study was to assume the reasoning behind illegal usage of ADHD medication and the understanding that the users of the medication may or may not have regarding the effects of the drug.

The importance of this study is plentiful. It highlights illegal drug use among young people today, which is a major concern in society. It focuses on the use of prescription drugs for collegiate matters. As noted by Carlson, “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most common behavior disorder that first appears in childhood” (Carlson, 2005, p. 502). This disorder, most commonly diagnosed among adolescent boys, reflects impulsive behavior and intermittent bursts of rapid responses with brain imaging studies (Carlson, 2005). Adderall is a strong and quick acting drug that is administered to those with ADHD and seems to be the most popular method of controlling the disorder. Adderall, a highly addictive prescription medication for ADHD, is exceedingly prescribed and therefore is quite easily obtained by students who are not intended to use the drug but desire to attain the drug for purposes of the effects (American Psychological Association, 2009).

The authors of this particular study on ADHD medications wanted to discern not just the statistical use of the medications as outlined in previous studies, but the reasons why the stimulants were used and how they were obtained (Webb, Noar, 2008). After all, most studies collected data as to the population of students that use it along with how big the epedimic might be, but the underlying reasons and disturbing facts about the use of ADHD medication was still to be investigated. Quantitative research has certainly given statistics on this troublesome truth about illicit drug use among college students. Furthermore, qualitative research has attempted to reveal the perspective of the students. In one particular qualitative study conducted prior to and separate of the authors study, it was explained that, “students are using Aderall, the ADHD medication that's misused on college campuses to sharpen focus and pump up test-taking ability” (Burrell, J., 2009).

The authors of Illicit Use of Prescription ADHD Medications on a College Campus: A Multimethodological Approach wanted to integrate statistical data with some of the impacting information that can only be acquired from the students themselves. The authors wanted to compile an all-embracing study that made a difference and educed a new understanding of this dilemma. To do this, the authors of the study “examined (1) factors that led to first use of prescription ADHD medications, (2) motives for continued use of these medications, and (3) where and how students access these medications” (Webb, Noar, 2008, p. 2). Many comprehensive approaches such as in-depth interviewing, surveying and questionnaires were exploited by the authors of this study to make sure that all avenues of use and distribution of the stimulants were covered so that a general degree of possible prevention of illegal use of stimulants could be properly assessed (Webb, Noar, 2008). The Institutional Review Board of the college reviewed and accepted the surveys, questionnaires and study methods proposed by the authors of the study (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Research Method

When conducting research for an experiment, it is ethically and scientifically necessary to implement strategies to ensure that threats to validity cannot occur (Davis, Smith, 2009). One of the ways to warrant such a distinction in experimentation that is free from threats is to use a consent form. In this particular experiment regarding ADHD medications among college students, a consent form was given with an extensive outline of the study and the topic of the research for participants to sign and understand (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Whether or not qualitative or quantitative measures are utilized seems to be a major area of interest in the scientific community. According to Aston, quantitative research “argues that both the natural and social sciences strive for testable and confirmable theories that explain phenomena by showing how they are derived from theoretical assumptions” (Aston, M., 2007, p.1). Qualitative research methods, however, “employ an insider's perspective which makes qualitative research an intensely personal and subjective style of research” (Aston, M., 2007, p.1). Both methods are extremely useful and should not be considered as rival methods (Jick, T., 1979). When both methods are executed within one experiment, the benefits of both methods are allowed to flourish and a fusion of numerically verifiable data with hands-on understanding is made.

This particular study regarding ADHD medications among college students utilized both qualitative and quantitative research techniques to bring about a comprehensive mixed model study. In the quantitative design, the authors of this study conducted surveys in two parts. In the first part, surveys were administered in a convenience sampling of 1,340 students in an introductory theory class. The other part was a convenience sampling of an additional 470 students of an upper-level curriculum so that a randomization was effective with a multitude of majors that were selected for the study (Webb, Noar, 2008).

For the qualitative aspect of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted on 175 full-time undergraduate students. Tape recorders were used for transcription and names were replaced with pseudonyms to protect privacy (Webb, Noar, 2008). According to Goodman, “in studying statistics it is sometimes useful to consider improper probability distributions, that is additive measures to the universal event” (Goodman, T., 1977, p. 387). In this particular study outlining illicit ADHD drug use among college students, the authors took careful precaution in making sure that these measures were accounted for. The details of the questions involved were how the student obtained the drugs, how much they knew about the effects, and whether or not they were educated on the drug (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Participants

Studies have shown that illegal stimulant abuse was more common among white and Latino male college students than African American and Asian students (Webb, Noar, 2008). The authors of this particular study wanted to present an equal opportunity to gather statistical analysis and in-depth study on all of the college population. The authors used female and male participants as well as different unique nationalities. They compiled their group of participants by ensuring that different classes were involved as well as different levels of college classman. This would eradicate any variables that could contend this study to be unverifiable or bias in addition to allowing the study to focus on the overall population of students and create a replication study that would prove or disprove the previous findings of common abusers of stimulant drug use (Webb, Noar, 2008). There was no apparent documentation of participants that dropped out of the study or participants that only completed partial areas of the study. Therefore, it seemed to be an inclusive study with considerable results from the participants involved.

Results

The results of the study were staggering with several proportionate measures. The survey results of adderall users were gathered and compared between focus groups. These results were based on the surveys conducted and reflected the use of the drug, motivations for use, and the commonality of use among college students that were studied.

First time use among college students also harbored results and showed that 65% of adderall users without a prescription used other non-prescription stimulants before illegally using ADHD medication (Webb, Noar, 2008). Results were also collected about the understanding that users of ADHD medication had about the side effects of the drug, what it was prescribed for, and the damage it can do when taken without a medical reason.

The authors of the study divided the participants by demographics to understand the proportion of the results better. Of the 708 men that were surveyed, 39% reported illicitly using prescription ADHD stimulants and 61% had not used. Among the 895 women that were surveyed, 266 reported using and 629 reported not using. Concluding the results, it was established that 69% of all participants claiming to have used ADHD medication did so for the first time in a college setting and not outside of school (Webb, Noar, 2008). These results show the urgency of ADHD medication use on a college campus and the alarming rates of illegal use.

Motivations for Taking Illegal ADHD Medications

The authors of this study focused intently on the desire and motivation for students to elicit drug use. Of these motivations, it was captured in this particular research study that most students are motivated by two categories that the study separates as academic reasons and non-academic reasons (Webb, Noar, 2008). Because the drug heightens the senses and ability to focus with stamina, it is a common drug that is easy to find and difficult to stop using. An important factor that was adapted through this study was that “unlike most other illegal substances that these college students took, they did not use stimulants primarily for social or entertainment purposes” (Webb, Noar, 2008, p. 4). This is a huge development when discerning the reasons for ADHD medication use because it showed that 72% of the participants in the study used the drug for getting good grades, staying up late, and to study longer rather than for recreational reasons (Webb, Noar, 2008). Of that 72%, about a third of participants specifically gave a motive of being smarter for taking the drug whuile 12% deduced that taking the drug made academic work more interesting (Webb, Noar, 2008).

In regards to the small percentage of participants that didn’t equate the motivations for ADHD medication usage to academics, 7% of particpants explained that taking the drug made them more talkative allowed them to stay up longer for social parties (Webb, Noar, 2008). The conclusion of the study in regards to motivation showed that even when academic motivation was the strongest reason for taking the medication, other non-academic reasons were sometimes closely related (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Obtaining Illegal Stimulants

This study included the means in which students obtain illegal stimulants and the ease to do so as interpreted by the students themselves as well as the increased availability and culpability of the users. This is an intense addition to this study as it outlines how these drugs are so easily obtained and why they are so commonly prescribed with the knowledge of outrageous illegal use.

Of the participants that were studied, a confounding 39% of participants regarded the drug as very easy to get, while 43% found it somewhat easy to obtain, 13% said it was somewhat difficult to find the drug and a minimal 1% found it difficult to obtain the drug. Additionally, an astonishing 89% of participants acquired the drug through college acquaintances rather than drug dealers on the street. In conclusion, only a mere 4% of participants actually had a prescription for the ADHD medication from a medical doctor and a few of those particular participants were not sure whether they needed it or not (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Prevention

One of the best aspects of this study is the authors’ comments on the findings and their belief in how to prevent the illegal use of ADHD medication among college students. The authors explore three viable alternatives to the outburst of illegal ADHD medication use. One of these possibilities is targeting the student suppliers of the stimulants. If this is done, it would do away with the supply and demand aspect of AHDH medications. By confining an easily available supply of the drug on college campuses, it would help to reduce usage by students and help prevent students from beginning use. (Webb, Noar, 2008).

Another area of prevention that the authors introduced was education on the illegal use of stimulants. The importance of this goes beyond measure because it empowers the student with the facts of the drug and the causes that may arise. With the benefits and dangerous effects clear to the potential user, it will be possible to make an educated and healthy choice regarding the drug (Webb, Noar, 2008). Moreover, students should be made aware of the illegal nature of using these drugs despite the prescription nature of the medication.

The last proposal for prevention that the authors delegated was the belief that professors should consider limiting demands on college students (Webb, Noar, 2008). With less stress and pressure on the students, focus can be given on the tasks at hand rather than the conception of being perfect. With a more lax schedule and academic demands, students may opt out of dangerous means of enhancing educational endeavors (Webb, Noar, 2008).

The illicit use of ADHD medication is on the rise as a contagion, particularly among college students. The authors of this unique study made an important discovery about the use of these medications from the student’s perspective while marrying this information with numerical statistics. Additionally, the authors of this study chose to use the collected data and interpretations for the purpose of identifying troublesome variables and turn them into a practical solution for prevention. The support and education that was given to the students as well as the inimitable mixed model method of research that was put into practice made this particular study effective and quite necessary for psychological research in the era that we currently live.














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