Substance use & misuse
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Substance use & misuse · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyCollegiate misuse of prescription stimulants: examining differences in self-worth.
Prescription stimulant medication is commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, stimulant medication misuse is a prevalent problem among the college population. There is limited research on psychological factors associated with collegiate nonmedical stimulant misuse. ⋯ Significant differences in contingencies of self-worth existed between the four groups of students. Specifically, external contingencies of self-worth, such as appearance and approval, were associated with stimulant medication misuse, whereas, internal contingencies of self-worth, such as God's love and virtue, were associated with nonuse and appropriate prescribed use. Conclusions/Importance: The findings of the current study suggested contingencies of self-worth partially explain prescription stimulant misuse among the collegiate population. Addressing self-worth may be helpful in the treatment of stimulant misuse with college students.
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Substance use & misuse · Feb 2015
Substance use and violence among youth: a daily calendar analysis.
While researchers have identified factors that contribute to youth violence, less is known about the details of violent incidents. In addition, substance use has been linked to youth violence; however, little is known about actual substance use on days in which violence occurs. ⋯ RESULTS suggest that youth violence prevention that addresses differential reasons for violence among males and females as well as substance use would be beneficial.
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Substance use & misuse · Feb 2015
Predicting students' intention to use stimulants for academic performance enhancement.
The non-medical use of stimulants for academic performance enhancement is becoming a more common practice among college and university students. ⋯ Our results indicate that subjective norm is the strongest predictor of students' intention to use stimulant medication, followed by attitude and perceived behavioral control. To a lesser extent, procrastinating tendencies, psychological distress, and substance abuse contribute to students' intention. Conclusions/ Importance: Based on these findings, we provide several recommendations on how to curtail students' intention to use stimulant medication for the purpose of improving their academic performance. In addition, we urge researchers to identify other psychological variables that might be related to students' intention.