Undergraduate Prescription Stimulant Misuse: The Impact of Academic Strain, Social Norms, and Gender

This study investigates the misuse of prescription stimulants among undergraduates for a variety of different purposes, including: academic, other instrumental, and recreational. This research is important as existing literature as well as national level surveillance data indicates a substantial increase in this type of prescription drug misuse, especially among young adults aged 18-25. Drawing from several theoretical frameworks, this research focuses on how academic strain, social norms, and gender influence prescription stimulant misuse among undergraduates. Roughly 900 quantitative surveys were collected that specifically address undergraduate prescription stimulant misuse. The results indicate that college students are at an increased likelihood of misusing prescription stimulants if they experienced academic impediments and/or grade strain during the past academic year. Additionally, the findings show that undergraduates who have accepting attitudes of prescription stimulant misuse and who have peers that misuse prescription stimulants are also at an increased likelihood of misusing prescription stimulants. Furthermore, males were at an increased likelihood of prescription stimulant misuse for academic purposes if they had experienced grade strain during the past academic year in comparison to their female counterparts. Female undergraduates, on the other hand, were four times more likely than male undergraduates to obtain prescription stimulants from their close friends for free.

Author dc:creator

• Norman, Lauren

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ford, Jason

• Prescription stimulant misuse; academic strain; social norms; gender
• Sociology
• Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

CFE0005854

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-1702