Personality Characteristics Associated With Prescription Stimulant Misuse in College Students
Caden Maynard1, Karallyn Fitisone1, Peggy S Keller1
1Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Background:
Prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) is a unique form of substance use on US college campuses, often occurring in academic contexts and motivated by perceived cognitive enhancement. The purpose of the current study is to examine associations between a range of personality characteristics (impulsivity, conscientiousness, perfectionism, ambition and intellect) and PSM.
Methods:
Data were drawn from an online survey administered over four academic semesters (Fall 2017- Spring 2019) to US college students attending a large public university (N = 650; 77% White, 62% female; Mage = 19.3).
Results:
Consistent with prior research, the majority of PSM occurred in academic contexts. Greater urgency was linearly associated with greater PSM. In addition, students who were lower and higher in intellect were at greater risk for PSM than students reporting moderate intellect. Moreover, misuse of prescription stimulants was associated with students believing that they have ADHD.
Conclusion:
Findings suggest that students with personality features that are less compatible with sustained academic effort may be more at risk for PSM. The curvilinear association between intellect and PSM is an especially novel finding.
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