ADHD Meds Being Abused By College Kids

More and more college students are misusing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication to study, according to new research.

Previous studies have shown that the use of amphetamines can lead to a harsh range of dangerous side-effects, including dependence, sudden death and serious cardiovascular events, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The majority of adults who are using Adderall nonmedically are in the age range of 18 to 25," said lead study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, a professor of mental health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, according to Health Day--most of whom are getting the medications via friends or relatives without a prescription. 

During the study, researchers looked at U.S. trends from 2006 through 2011 specifically regarding concerns and the misuse of stimulants among children and teens. Three national surveys were analyzed, which included those with information on the following: doctors visits, drug use and ER visits. These were used to track stimulant use with such drugs as Adderall and Ritalin/Concerta.

In adults, the researchers found, treatment visits for Adderall were unchanged, although nonmedical use and ER visits rose significantly.

Concern about stimulant misuse among children and teens did not bear out. In adolescents, treatment visits for stimulants declined, and misuse of Adderall did not increase. Nonmedical use of Ritalin and Concerta declined by about 54 percent over the six-year period, the researchers found, according to CBS News. 

Study co-author Ramin Mojtabai, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., a professor of mental health at the Bloomberg School said that these drugs should be monitored so as to reduce the risk of dependence and so that college-age students can better understand that potential side-effects of the medications. 

"Many of these college students think stimulants like Adderall are harmless study aids," he said in a news release. "But there can be serious health risks and they need to be more aware."

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

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