Abstract
Introduction and aim: Increasing numbers of students are reportedly using prescription medications to enhance cognition. This study aimed to generate qualitative data on UK students’ understandings and perspectives of the risks and benefits surrounding so-called ‘study drugs’ (particularly, modafinil).Design and methods: Fifteen undergraduate students studying biomedical science subjects were interviewed about their perspectives on study drugs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis. Users and non-users were included in the sample.Results: The prescription status and comparisons to other legal and illicit stimulants informed accounts of the (lack of) risks associated with study drugs, legitimising use. The customisation of sleep(iness) and wakefulness was described as a key benefit of study drug use. Drivers of use related to university pressures and desires to increase productivity. In periods of heightened stress, such as examinations, students reported altered practices and perspectives on risk.Discussion and conclusions: We noted the contextual nature of students’ use and risk appraisals, with fluctuating social contexts and pressures over time being capable of altering prior assessments and current practices (including the legitimisation of study drug consumption). Further, we highlighted the degree to which students leveraged their biomedical and experiential expertise to account for drug consumption.
Highlights
Introduction and aimIncreasing numbers of students are reportedly using prescription medications to enhance cognition
While there is evidence that these drugs elicit cognitive effects in their target populations, far more doubt exists regarding whether they advance cognition in ‘healthy’ populations (Ilieva, Hook, & Farah, 2015). The notion that these drugs improve cognition in unaffected individuals is prevalent in the media (Coveney, Nerlich, & Martin, 2009; Forlini & Racine, 2009a), and potentially informs the perceptions of university students
An important aspect of our research has been the inclusion of both users and non-users: we have demonstrated a resonance between their accounts of why students might consume study drugs, and what the potential harms and advantages are conceived as being
Summary
Introduction and aimIncreasing numbers of students are reportedly using prescription medications to enhance cognition. Discussion and conclusions: We noted the contextual nature of students’ use and risk appraisals, with fluctuating social contexts and pressures over time being capable of altering prior assessments and current practices (including the legitimisation of study drug consumption). Stimulants have been described as ‘study drugs’, and used during, for instance, periods of high stress (e.g. exams and deadlines) (Hildt, Lieb, & Franke, 2014) In such situations, pharmaceuticals have been employed to improve academic performance through increased concentration, alertness, and levels of comprehension (DeSantis, Noar, & Webb, 2010; Vrecko, 2013). Different US studies have highlighted similar means of accounting for the use of prescription stimulants, e.g. via legitimating discourses that minimise risk including through comparison with legallyobtainable substances (Cutler, 2014; DeSantis & Hane, 2010). In a survey reported by Singh, Bard, and Jackson (2014: 1), a ‘substantial majority of students in the UK and Ireland were unaware of and/or uninterested’ in consuming modafinil, methylphenidate or Adderall for purposes of augmenting cognition
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