Abstract
ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of nontherapeutic use of methylphenidate as well as to ascertain any benefits, side effects, and other factors associated with this use.Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in medical colleges in Pakistan using a self-constructed, validated questionnaire. The sample size was calculated using Open Source Statistics for Epidemiological Health software (OpenEpi web-based open-source program, MIT license), and it was determined to be 400. The type of sampling was cluster sampling. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the questionnaire, and it was found to be 0.80.ResultsOut of the 400 participants, 197 (49%) were male and 203 (51%) were female. The mean age of the participants was 21.02 (±1.54) years. Most of the participants (84%) reported they usually studied 1-3 hours a day, and 149 participants (37%) reported a score ranging from 70 to 80% in exams. Methylphenidate was admitted to be used by 37 participants. Out of these 37 participants, only 10 participants believed they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants revealed they used the drug to either cope with the anxiety related to their scores or merely as a personal, recreational choice. Methylphenidate was mostly acquired from peers (68%), and peer pressure was found to be a major factor in its misuse.ConclusionsMost of the methylphenidate misuse is linked to student underperformance in examinations and an underlying dissatisfaction. The problem is more aggravated when the social influence exerted by other students is taken into account. The side effects of drug usage are found to outweigh the benefits that have been reported.
Highlights
Substance abuse is defined as an erratic behavior pattern of substance use leading to impairment and, tolerance and withdrawal, usually occurring within a twelvemonth period of the starting of the abuse [1]
Methylphenidate was admitted to be used by 37 participants
Methylphenidate was mostly acquired from peers (68%), and peer pressure was found to be a major factor in its misuse
Summary
Substance abuse is defined as an erratic behavior pattern of substance use leading to impairment and, tolerance and withdrawal, usually occurring within a twelvemonth period of the starting of the abuse [1]. According to the UN World Drug Report 2017, about 271 million people have been victims of illicit drug use the world over [2]. Annual estimates in Pakistan suggest that there are 6.7 million drug users in the country, and most of these users belong to the economically productive age group of 25-39 years [3]. One of the substance-abuse categories is medication abuse. The number of people being prescribed medications is increasing and, with the increased availability of drugs, the potential for abuse has increased. According to recent global statistics, 1.3 million teenagers have reported using Ritalin or Adderall, common brand names under which methylphenidate is sold, in the last year [4]
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