Appropriate and non-medical use of methylphenidate by residence students at a South African tertiary institution
Date
2017Author
Dreyer, J.
Burger, J.R.
Kotzé, I.
Van Dyk, S.
Cockeran, M.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The purpose was to determine to what degree residence students
from a tertiary academic
institution use methylphenidate in both non-medical and appropr
iate manners in the South
African context. Reasons for use, doses consumed and side effec
ts experienced were
investigated. The study followed a quantitative cross-sectional
design and used a structured
questionnaire to gather data. Appropriate users were defined as
students who have only used
methylphenidate as prescribed, whereas non-medical users were d
efined as those using
methylphenidate without a prescription, or using prescribed met
hylphenidate in a non-medical
manner (for example in excessive doses). One in four residence
students in the study population
(N=328) have used methylphenidate at least once in their lives.
Only 7.3% (n=24) were
appropriate users, whereas 16.8% (n=55) were non-medical users.
Half of the appropriate users
have never been diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD). All non-
medical users used methylphenidate to study or concentrate; how
ever, 4 participants used it for
euphoria and 8 participants to
party. The preferred product, es
pecially by non-medical users, was
extended release methylphenidate
(72.7%). The most common side
effects experienced were
sleep difficulties (69.0%) and reduced appetite (67.1%). There
is evidence to suggest that
methylphenidate is being used in non-medical ways by residence
students in the study population
and that these students may experience more adverse events. Non
-medical stimulant use has been
considered an indicator of problematic behaviours in students.
This study also presented
emerging evidence of off-label methylphenidate prescriptions; t
he safety of which has not been
established
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/27401http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-c26a8b2b6
https://journals.co.za/content/journal/10520/EJC-c26a8b2b6