Due to the vast differences between life as a high student and life as a college student, this transition between high school and college can be demanding and challenging. Challenges arise, such as in academics and trying to make new friends. The National Sleep Foundation research found that roughly 75-98% of students consumed at least one caffeine-containing beverage daily. Psychostimulants that are known to help individuals focus and improve performance are the student’s choice in helping their academic process. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6.4% of college students misused Adderall in the past year. This study performed a literature review of articles from 2011 to 2021 to discuss the use of psychostimulants in college students.
The researchers of this article used the keywords “student,” “psychostimulant,” “caffeine,” “Amphetamine,” and “methylphenidate.” The study found that the top five motivations for using psychostimulants were to improve concentration, be more productive with academic work, feel more focused, work more efficiently, and reduce distractions. The top reasons for using caffeine included staying awake, enjoying the taste and social aspects of consumption, increasing concentration, increasing physical energy, improving mood, and reducing stress. Stress factors include the number of exams and teachers being stricter than what the students are used to when coming from a high school.
According to two previous studies, the use non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students is much higher than their peers who do not attend college. Psychostimulant misuse and dependence can cause serious health concerns such as increased blood pressure, irritability, paranoia, hepatitis, other infectious diseases related to needle administration, and withdrawal symptoms. This literature review also revealed that non-medical prescription use with alcohol use had a worse effect than non-medical prescription use alone. This is of concern because college students are a high-risk group for alcohol misuse. Overall, this study concluded that college students use psychostimulants to reduce stress and in hopes of performing better in class. Although psychostimulants such as caffeine or Adderall may help a student focus, non-medical prescription use, especially psychostimulants, puts students at a high risk for adverse consequences.
Takeaway: Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among college students is much higher than their peers who did not attend college, and the reason college students use psychostimulants is to reduce stress and in hopes of performing better in class.