Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39552232›Full record

Observational studyAddiction (Abingdon, England)2025

Prevalence of pharmacotherapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and prescription stimulant misuse: A national study of US college students.

Alynna G Summit, Madison C Moseley, Natasha Chaku, Kit K Elam, Wura Jacobs, Alyssa M Lederer, Ellen L Vaughan, Patrick D Quinn

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Alynna G SummitDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0692-133X
Madison C MoseleyDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Natasha ChakuDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0944-6159
Kit K ElamDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0319-5897
Wura JacobsDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4293-5635
Alyssa M LedererDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9430-0287
Ellen L VaughanDepartment of Applied Psychology in Education and Research Methodology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1486-2969
Patrick D QuinnDepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6770-8762

Funding

INTEGRATIVE PREDOCTORAL TRAINING IN DRUG ABUSE RESEARCH AT INDIANA UNIVERSITYT32DA024628 · NIDA · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · PI Andrea Grace Hohmann, Kenneth Mackie · 2008 to 2026
$3.1M
National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health T32DA024628NIDA NIH HHS T32 DA024628
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsIncreasing rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pharmacotherapy may simultaneously benefit patients and increase the availability of stimulants for misuse. We measured the association between university-level prevalence of ADHD medication treatment and prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) among college students. DESIGN, SETTING AND

participantsThis was an observational study using cross-sectional data from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III. Data included 395 participating universities between Fall 2019 and Fall 2022. Our sample included 224 469 undergraduates aged 18-25 years (65.2% cisgender female; 58.7% White). MEASUREMENTS: Students self-reported any life-time clinical ADHD diagnosis, past-year ADHD medication treatment and past-3-month PSM. We defined university-level ADHD medication prevalence as the proportion of included students endorsing past-year ADHD medication treatment. Secondary outcomes included life-time PSM and moderate- to high-risk alcohol and cannabis use. We also measured university-level depression medication prevalence as a negative control exposure.

findingsAmong the included students, 9.6% reported a life-time clinical ADHD diagnosis, 5.1% reported past-year medication treatment and 2.4% reported past-3-month PSM. The prevalence of ADHD medication treatment varied among universities [mean = 5.3%, standard deviation (SD) = 2.8%]. In adjusted models, prevalence of PSM was 7% relatively greater for every 1% increase in university-level medication prevalence [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.09]. Further, individuals with non-medication-treated ADHD were 40% more likely to report PSM than those without ADHD (aPR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.25-1.56). There was no statistically significant difference in PSM among individuals with ADHD who did or did not receive medication (aPR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.78-1.04). Results for secondary outcomes and the negative control partially supported the specificity of the findings.

conclusionsAmong university students in the United States, there appears to be a positive association between attending universities with a greater prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication treatment and risk of prescription stimulant misuse (PSM). This study provides further support for the possibility that ADHD medication treatment prevalence is a risk factor for PSM.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityCentral Nervous System StimulantsPrescription Drug MisuseStudentsAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceUnited StatesUniversitiesYoung AdultCentral Nervous System StimulantsAttention deficit/hyperactivity disordercollege studentsdiversionprescription stimulant misusestimulantssubstance use

Identifiers

PMID39552232
PMCPMC12687364

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.