(NaturalPath) According to a study out of Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, college students who misuse stimulant drugs are more likely to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder or substance-use disorder than students not misusing stimulants.
“Our data suggest that college students who misuse prescription stimulant medications are more likely to exhibit clinically relevant psychiatric dysfunction, said one author of the study. “In addition to higher levels of ADHD, conduct disorder, and alcohol or drug use disorders, the majority of those misusing stimulants met or approached criteria for stimulant-use disorder.”
The study relied not on just survey questions, but on structured interviews as one researcher explained, “Someone may report on a survey that they misused stimulants on ‘a handful of occasions’ and have never been diagnosed with a substance-use disorder. But during the intensive interview process it may be found that they mixed prescription stimulants with alcohol and that they had problematic interactions with others that led to legal action. While that misuser may deny having a stimulant-use disorder, when systematically queried, it may be found that he or she met or approached the criteria for a full disorder.”
The participants in the study were Boston-area undergraduates in colleges and universities and were ages 18 to 28.
One discovery of the study was that stimulant misusers were more likely than controls to have been diagnosed with ADHD or to have exhibited related symptoms – being easily distracted, having trouble paying attention – during childhood. They also were more likely as adults to have difficulty following instructions and to dislike tasks requiring attention.
Finally, misusers were more likely to meet criteria for substance-use disorder – including use of drugs and alcohol together – and 67 percent actually met or approached criteria for stimulant-use disorder.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.