ArticleThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine2026
University Students and the Stimulant Shortage: A Survey of Strategies to Obtain Medication, Consequences of Shortages, and Mental Health Correlates.
Article in The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
purposePrescription stimulant shortages in the United States may adversely affect university students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as the demands of university work may be particularly difficult to navigate without medication. This study examined strategies used by US university students to obtain stimulants, shortage-related consequences, and mental health correlates of experiencing difficulty obtaining stimulant medication.
methodsCross-sectional survey data were from 438 university students with a past-year stimulant prescription, collected over the 2024-2025 academic year. Measures included past-year difficulty obtaining stimulant medication, strategies to obtain or keep medication, and shortage-related consequences. Differences in ADHD symptom severity were evaluated via linear regression, and prevalence of positive screening for ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep, and substance use concerns were compared via logistic regression between groups based on past-year experience of any difficulty obtaining stimulant medication.
resultsNearly two-thirds (64.6%) of the university students experienced past-year difficulty obtaining stimulants. Over half tried any strategy to obtain/keep medication (56.6%; 87.6% of those with difficulty obtaining medication) and/or experienced a shortage-related consequence (55.5%; 85.9% of those with difficulty obtaining medication), most commonly increased difficulty completing coursework. Mean ADHD symptom scores were higher in those with difficulty obtaining medication (14.22 ± 6.22) versus those without difficulty (11.97 ± 5.19), as was prevalence of positive screening for ADHD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.74), depression (aOR = 1.65), anxiety (aOR = 1.76), sleep problems (aOR = 1.79), and substance use concerns (aOR = 1.56). DISCUSSION: Most university students with stimulant prescriptions were adversely affected by stimulant shortages, and those experiencing difficulty obtaining medication particularly need support from clinicians and university personnel.
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