Morgan Adler

ENC2135
February 29, 2106
Research- In- Progress Report/ Annotated Bibliography
My final research question is Why is the number college students abusing and misusing
prescription medication stimulants rapidly growing?
Aikins, Ross D. "Academic Performance Enhancement: A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions
and Habits of Prescription StimulantUsing College Students." Project Muse. N.p., n.d. Web.
24 Feb. 2016.
<http://muse.jhu.edu.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/journals/journal_of_college_student_development/v052/
52.5.aikins.html>.
This study aims to compare the perceptions and habits of college students who both
legally and illegally use the stimulant medication for academic purposes and what the outcomes
and effects are. Drawing on interviews and questionnaires, illicit and licit users overwhelmingly
felt that prescription stimulants enhanced their ability to perform academic tasks. Also, it was
said that difficulty or competition in school were primary motives to use the stimulants. This
study focuses more on the difference between college students who are prescribed the stimulant
and not prescribed, what they think about it and what situations they may take it in. The sample
size is small but random consisting of 5 licit and 5 illicit users. The article gives in depth
responses to questions regarding the growing usage of stimulants among college students.
Aubrey, Allison. "Misuse Of ADHD Drugs By Young Adults Drives Rise In ER Visits." NPR.
N.p., n.d.
Web. 25 Feb. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/02/16/466947829/
of-adhd-drugs-linked-to-increased-er-hospital-visits-study-finds>.
This article focuses on the rising amount of young adults that are misusing the
prescription stimulants and having to go to the emergency room. The study found that
nonmedical use of Adderall and generic versions of the drug increased by 67 percent among
adults between 2006 and 2011. The number of emergency room visits involving Adderall misuse
increased from 862 visits in 2006 to 1,489 in 2011 according to data from the Drug Abuse
Warning Network. This article tells of the reputation that Adderall has gained as a study drug
and a cognitive enhancer and the side effects that occur due to usage. This article participates
in conversation by writing about the ways students may obtain the study drug and how they
believe that it could improve their smarts.
Benson, Kary, et al. "Misuse of Stimulant Medication Among College Students: A
Comprehensive Review and Meta-analysis." Springer Link. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
<http://link.springer.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/article/10.1007/s10567-014-0177-z/fulltext.html>.

This review provides information on the growing number of students that are using
stimulant medication as well as the misuse among college students and the side effects that may
occur in misusers. Through longitudinal surveys and interviews not only do they provide how
many students with and without ADHD have misused the drug but also which gender misuses
the drug at a higher rate, the rates at which the college students use other drugs such as
marijuana, tobacco and alcohol, the correlation between the misuse and amount of
extracurricular activities they participate in and how a student obtained the medication. This
study provides insight to the current rates at which college students use and misuse stimulant
medications. The sample sizes are vast and provide an array of responses from each individual
study. Existing research on motives for and consequences of stimulant medication misuse among
college students indicates that students misuse for mostly academic reasons, though there are
some who misuse to lose weight or get high.
DeSantis, A. D., & Hane, A. C. (2010). "Adderall is definitely not a drug": Justifications for the
illegal use of ADHD stimulants. Substance use & Misuse, 45(1-2), 31-46.
This study focuses on the Justifications of the use of Adderall and whether or not there
are believed to be health risks. Students who were surveyed by a convenience sample of 175 fulltime undergraduates at a large university found stimulant use as both physically harmless and
morally acceptable. Justifications that were recorded but none was used more often than
comparing and contrasting ADHD stimulants with party drugs. This argument created a
contrast between good prescription stimulants and bad street drugs. Im-doing-it-for-the-rightreasons was also one of the most often used arguments among students who use stimulants to
obtain better grades in school. This study recorded different justifications for using the stimulant
and showed just how many students agreed with each one. Limitations of this study include the
students all being from the same, large university. This article participates in conversation by
identifying arguments that give prevention researchers better insight as to why these stimulants
are so often abused on college campuses and helps in the attempt to reduce illegal stimulant
abuse.
Dodge, Tonya, et al. "Judging Cheaters: Is Substance Misuse Viewed Similarly in the Athletic
and Academic Domains?" American Psychological Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb.
2016. <http://psycnet.apa.org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/journals/adb/26/3/678.html>.
This study examines the difference in views of performance enhancing drug use in the
athletic domain and the academic domain. The results showed that participants believed that an
athlete using anabolic steroids to help him succeed in a sporting event was more of a cheater than
a student who misused Adderall to help him succeed on his midterm exams. Participants were
recruited from a large University and evidence shows that students believe misuse of anabolic
steroids is less ethical than misuse of prescription stimulants and students perceived misuse of PS
as more necessary for successful performance than use of AS. This study contributes a new view
on the topic of stimulant misuse among college students but may be limiting due to the fact that
it focuses more on the unethical nature of anabolic steroid use. This article provides insight on
how students view Adderall as a harmless and sometimes necessary drug.
Janusis, Grace M., and Lisa L. Weyandt. "An Exploratory Study of Substance Use and Misuse

Among College Students With and Without ADHD and Other Disabilities." SAGE Journals.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
<http://jad.sagepub.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/content/14/3/205.full.pdf+html>.
This article explores Adderall use and misuse among college students who have ADHD,
do not have ADHD and that may have other disabilities. Students responded to a Stimulant
Survey Questionnaire (SSQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS), and
items from the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) and ultimately assessed the
differences in use among students with disabilities and without. This study contributes a new
perception on Adderall use and misuse among college students. Limitations of this study include
focusing on the sensation seeking aspect of taking stimulants and the perceived stress levels of
students rather than their initial reasoning for taking the stimulant. This article branches out to
understand the effects of Adderall on students with other disabilities rather than on students
without ADHD who misuse the drug.
Kerley, Kent R., Heith Copes, and O. Hayden Griffen, III. "Middle-Class Motives for NonMedical Prescription Stimulant Use among College Students." Taylor & Francis Online. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. <http://www.tandfonline.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/doi/full/10.1080/
01639625.2014.951573>.
This articles assesses the motives and beliefs of college students who misuse the
prescription stimulant and how they make sense of their drug use. Through semi-structures
interviews with 22 college students, it was concluded that success and moderation are motivators
of using this stimulant and users make sense of their drug use by creating identities as people
who are focused on success and use stimulants only as a tool to perform their best. This study,
unlike others, looks upon how college students draw on conventional, middle-class values and
beliefs to frame their misuse of these drugs. All the students interviewed constantly juxtaposed
their use of prescription stimulants with the use of serious illegal drugs, as well as illegal use of
various prescription drugs. This article participates in conversation by the fact that college
students interviewed justified their use by drawing from stories about hard work, academic
success, and the benefits of moderation prevalent among those in the middle-class.
In my research I will still need to refine all the statistics to a definite percentage of how
much stimulant medication use has risen. I will also refine my research question more to assess
exactly why the number of college students using and misusing prescription medication
stimulants is rising and what exactly the primary motivation is. This article focuses on the rising
amount of young adults that are misusing the prescription stimulants and having to go to the
emergency room. The study found that nonmedical use of Adderall and generic versions of the
drug increased by 67 percent among adults between 2006 and 2011. The number of emergency
room visits involving Adderall misuse increased from 862 visits in 2006 to 1,489 in 2011
according to data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network. This article tells of the reputation that
Adderall has gained as a study drug and a cognitive enhancer and the side effects that occur
due to usage. This article participates in conversation by writing about the ways students may
obtain the study drug and how they believe that it could improve their smarts.