Between 2014 and 2019, it has been reported that the national annual rate of stimulant dispensing increased from 5.6 to 6.1 prescriptions per every 100 people. Notability is a significant increase among those ages 20 -39. A recent study reported that roughly 18.8% of US first-year students meet the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis. Prescription stimulants increase alertness, concentration, and more; due to these effects, they are at an increased risk for non-medical use (NMU). There are many stigmas around prescription stimulant NMU. The goal of this study is to examine the role of stigmatizing beliefs in NMU and the diversion of prescription stimulants among college students.
This cross-sectional study comprised 384 participants at least 18 years of age who attended a large public university in the south-central US. Participants’ demographics were collected, such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, grade point average, year in school, and more. Prescription stimulants, prescription stimulant diversion (sold or given away their prescription stimulant medications), prescription stimulant NMU, perceived harm/norms of NMU, alcohol use, psychological distress, perceived public stigma, personal stigmatization, anticipated stigma, and internalized stigma were all measured. This study made two hypotheses: “(1) stigma is not significantly associated with NMU and diversion, and (2) stigma measures exhibit a significant positive relationship with indicators of psychological distress among individuals who engage in NMU or diversion.”
The results of this study showed that social stigma related to prescription stimulant NMU is not a predictor of NMU behaviors. It was found that increasing stigmatic perception specific to diversion was correlated with a reduced likelihood that the individual would divert their medication. Roughly 30% of the participants reported NMU, which is one of the highest reported percentages to date. This study suggested that stigma is associated with psychological harm among those who partake in NMU. This highlights the importance of developing interventions to reduce stigma in hopes of improving psychological health among those who engage in NMU.
Takeaway: Stigma was found to be positively associated with psychological harm among those who partake in NMU. Therefore, it is essential to develop interventions that help reduce stigma in NMU.