Non-Prescription Stimulant Medication use among College Students: Sharing and Selling Behaviors

The present study examined characteristics and factors related to nonprescription use of stimulant medications in college-aged populations. Prior researchers have shown that students do not perceive that taking these medications is illegal or that the medications have negative effects (DeSantis & Hane, 2010; Rabiner et al., 2009). Therefore, we examined the perceptions of legal and health risks that are associated with consumption of stimulant medication along with motivations for use and other perceptions of use. The psychology research pool was used to recruit 995 undergraduate students to the survey. Data analysis showed that the combination of sharing and selling is the most commonly endorsed method of diversion for prescription stimulant medications. Analyses also showed that those involved in using nonprescription stimulants perceived lower legal and health risks compared to those uninvolved. Future research should continue to explore diversion behaviors and risks and benefits between users and non-users