Risk/benefit perceptions underlying lower African American Students' illicit stimulant use

Abstract

Researchers have documented lower illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) in African American (AA) populations but have not provided empirically-based explanations for this finding. Four gender-balanced groups of AA and Caucasian male/female college students (n = 120/group, mean age of 19.23, SD = 1.30) reported any IUPS and rated their ADHD symptoms (using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale; ASRS). AA participants endorsed IUPS less frequently compared to Caucasian participants (9.2% vs. 21.3%; χ2(1) = 13.59, p < .001) and reported lower levels of ADHD symptoms (M = 4.65, SD = 4.17) compared to Caucasians (M = 5.84, SD = 4.22), F(1,473) = 9.83, p < .01. Second, AA participants perceived lower benefits for IUPS than Caucasian participants for targets of concentration (M = 2.29, SD = 1.22 vs. M = 1.79, SD = 1.04, F(1,473) = 23.57, p < .001), alertness (M = 2.29, SD = 1.24 vs. M = 1.92, SD = 0.93, F(1,473) = 18.04, p < .001), and help with studying (M = 2.53, SD = 1.25 vs. M = 1.90, SD = 1.05, F(1,473) = 35.69, p < .001). Third, AA participants perceived higher social risk (M = 2.63, SD = 1.11) than Caucasian participants (M = 3.03, SD = 0.91, F(1,476) = 18.44, p < .001). No significant differences were found for legal or health risks. Despite lower rates of IUPS in AA populations, prevention and treatment programs for AA students are still needed and may benefit from targeting the observed risk/benefit belief patterns.