Outcomes and Predictors of Stimulant Misuse in College Students with and Without ADHD

2021 ◽  
pp. 108705472110276
Author(s):  
Alyssa R. Francis ◽  
Lisa L. Weyandt ◽  
Arthur D. Anastopoulos ◽  
George J. DuPaul ◽  
Emily Shepard
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Stimulant Medication ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Full Sample ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
The Us ◽  
Prescription Stimulant Misuse ◽  
Students With Adhd

In recent years, rates of prescription stimulant misuse have increased among young adults ages 18 to 25 along with increases in dispensing rates of these medications. Preliminary studies suggest that college students with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be more likely to misuse their stimulant medication than their non-ADHD peers. Research is needed to further explore possible rates, correlates, and outcomes of prescription stimulant misuse among college students with and without ADHD. Data regarding study strategies, psychological functioning, stimulant misuse, and GPA were collected from students from universities within the US ( N = 144), showing significantly higher rates of misuse among college students with ADHD. With depression and anxiety entered into the predictive model, inattentive symptoms were the only significant predictor of misuse in the full sample. The present findings have implications for academic interventions aimed at supporting the success of college students with and without ADHD and inform academic outcomes of prescription stimulant misuse.

scholarly journals Do ADHD Symptoms, Executive Function, and Study Strategies Predict Temporal Reward Discounting in College Students with Varying Levels of ADHD Symptoms? A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Anouk Scheres ◽  
Mary V. Solanto
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Temporal Discounting ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Life Challenges ◽  
Students With Adhd ◽  
Learning And Study Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between temporal reward discounting and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in college students. Additionally, we examined whether temporal reward discounting was associated with executive functioning in daily life and with learning and study strategies in this group. Thirty-nine college students (19 with ADHD and 20 controls) participated after meeting criteria for ADHD or non-ADHD based on standardized assessment. Strong preferences for small immediate rewards were specifically associated with the ADHD symptom domain hyperactivity–impulsivity. Additionally, these preferences were associated with daily life executive function problems and with weak learning and study strategies. This suggests that steep temporal discounting may be a key mechanism playing a role in the daily life challenges that college students with ADHD symptoms face. If these findings are replicated in larger samples, then intervention strategies may profitably be developed to counteract this strong preference for small immediate rewards in college students with ADHD symptoms.

ADHD Assessment in College Students: Psychologists’ Adherence to DSM-5 Criteria and Multi-Method/Multi-Informant Assessment

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Weis ◽  
Christina H. Till ◽  
Celeste P. Erickson
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Academic Accommodations ◽  
Statistical Manual ◽  
Adhd Assessment ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Students With Adhd ◽  
Assessment Procedures

The evidence-based assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) depends on adherence to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) diagnostic criteria and reliance on multi-method/multi-informant data. Although nearly all psychologists endorse these practices, college students with ADHD may lack documentation supporting their diagnoses. We reviewed the documentation submitted by 214 undergraduates diagnosed with ADHD and receiving academic accommodations for this condition. Their clinicians also completed a checklist that described their assessment procedures. Relatively few psychologists assessed all DSM-5 criteria, based on either the psychologist’s self-reported assessment procedures (23.4%), written documentation (14.0%), or multi-method/multi-informant data (10.3%) such as educational/medical records, results of rating scales, or interviews with other informants. Psychologists were least likely to assess students’ areas of impairment or to rule out alternative causes for students’ self-reported symptoms. This lack of adherence to DSM-5 criteria and overreliance on students’ self-reports can threaten the reliability of diagnosis and the appropriateness of medication and accommodations that follow.

The learning and study strategies of college students with ADHD

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Reaser ◽  
Frances Prevatt ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Briley Proctor
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Students With Adhd ◽  
Learning And Study Strategies

scholarly journals Prescription Stimulant Misuse and ADHD Symptomatology Among College Students in Iceland

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bergljot Gyda Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Lisa Weyandt ◽  
Gabriela Bryndis Ernudottir
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Stimulant Medication ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Population ◽  
Prescription Rates ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Prescription Stimulant Misuse ◽  
College Student Population ◽  
Adhd Symptomatology

Objective: Misuse of prescription stimulant medication is a prevalent problem on American college campuses; however, few studies have been conducted beyond the United States. Although Iceland has the highest methylphenidate prescription rates in the world, prevalence of stimulant misuse within the Icelandic college student population remains to be investigated. Method: We examined the prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse among N = 521 college students in Iceland, using an online survey. Results: Overall prevalence of lifetime stimulant misuse was approximately 13%; 11% among participants without a prescription for stimulant medication, and 42% among participants holding a prescription. The primary reported reason for misuse was academic enhancement; risk factors included male sex, anxiety symptoms, and ADHD symptomatology. Conclusion: The present findings have implications for public health policy in Iceland, particularly as it relates to the college population. Prevention and intervention programs that provide college students with safer strategies to manage academic demands are warranted.

Error Monitoring in College Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 113-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Pin Chang ◽  
Patricia L. Davies ◽  
William J Gavin
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Error Monitoring ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Students With Adhd

Recent error-related event-related potential (ERP) studies suggest that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display deficits in error monitoring compared to control children. Information regarding error monitoring deficit in adults with ADHD, however, is scarce. We investigated error monitoring in a sample of college students with ADHD and compared them to their control peers. In addition to error (-related) negativity (Ne/ERN) and error positivity (Pe), we examined behavioral performance such as reaction time (RT) as well as self-reported monitoring behaviors in daily-life situations. Thirty-two college students with no known disorders and 36 college students with ADHD between 18 and 30 years of age participated in this study. Results showed that college students with ADHD were slower in their RT and displayed more RT variability. College students with ADHD also demonstrated significantly smaller Ne/ERN amplitude and shorter Ne/ERN latency compared to control students. There were, however, no significant group differences in either Pe amplitude or Pe latency. With self-reported monitoring behaviors, ADHD students reported significantly more difficulties in both the Self-Monitor and Task Monitor scales of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult Version (BRIEF-A) compared to control students. Collectively, these results suggest that college students with ADHD have atypical error monitoring as measured by brain processing, behavioral performance, and self-report.

Effect of Stimulant Medication on the Acceptance of Background Noise in Individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (09) ◽  
pp. 677-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda C. Freyaldenhoven ◽  
James W. Thelin ◽  
Patrick N. Plyler ◽  
Anna K. Nabelek ◽  
Samuel B. Burchfield
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Stimulant Medication ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Presentation Level ◽  
Students With Adhd ◽  
Auditory Tasks ◽  
Speech Presentation

Available data indicate that, on some auditory tasks, individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) perform more poorly than individuals without ADHD/ADD. Research also indicates that performance may improve with the use of stimulant medication. The present study (1) examined the effect of stimulant medication on acceptance of background noise in individuals with ADHD/ADD and (2) investigated the dependence of speech presentation level on acceptance of noise in persons with ADHD/ADD. Fifteen normal hearing female college students with ADHD/ADD served as the participants. The participants were medicated in one session and unmedicated in the other session. Results showed that medication significantly increased the acceptance of background noise for individuals with ADHD/ADD. Results also indicated that acceptance of noise depends on speech presentation level, but the improvement in acceptance of noise was not dependent on medication.

The Learning/Study Strategies of College Students with ADHD

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 6-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Prevatt ◽  
Abigail Reaser ◽  
Briley Proctor ◽  
Yaacov Petscher
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Students With Adhd

Reliability and Validity of the Wender Utah Rating Scale for College Students

2005 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 833-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wierzbicki
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Wender Utah Rating Scale ◽  
High Internal Consistency ◽  
Retrospective Account ◽  
Students With Adhd ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

The Wender Utah Rating Scale was developed to assess adults' retrospective account of the childhood occurrence of symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As little work has focused on psychometric properties of the scale for college students, it was administered to 111 college students. Because college students with ADHD experience more symptoms of depression than other students, three measures of mood-related symptoms were also administered. One month later, the Wender scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were readministered to 67 participants. On both occasions, the Wender scale had high internal consistency ( r > .87) and was modestly but significantly correlated with measures of mood disorder symptoms ( rs ranging from .33 to .47). The scale had high test-retest reliability ( r = .68). These results support its use as a component of assessment of ADHD in college students.

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