Abstract
Background: Side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use are understudied. Objectives: The study examined side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use in a college sample with attention to possible gender differences. Methods: 2716 undergraduates (1448 male) between the ages of 17 and 57 years (M = 19.43 years, SD = 1.7 years) completed an online survey that included questions about the subjective side effects of prescribed and nonprescribed psychostimulant use. Results: Results suggested that prescribed users more frequently reported side effects, compared to nonprescribed users. For prescribed users, females more frequently reported appetite, somatic, and anxiety-related side effects compared to males. For nonprescribed users, while females reported more somatic and anxiety-related side effects, males more frequently reported loss of sex drive and sweating as side effects. Conclusions/Importance: These findings suggest prescribed users of psychostimulants more frequently report side effects with prominent gender differences in line with gender roles.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-21-2016
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1240694
Funding Information
This work was supported by the National Institute of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse [K12 DA 035150] to M Martel.
Repository Citation
Smith, Tess E.; Martel, Michelle M.; and DeSantis, Alan D., "Subjective Report of Side Effects of Prescribed and Nonprescribed Psychostimulant Use in Young Adults" (2016). Psychology Faculty Publications. 188.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/psychology_facpub/188
Included in
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Psychology Commons, Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons
Notes/Citation Information
Published in Substance Use & Misuse, v. 52, issue 4, p. 548-552.
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
The copyright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here.
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Substance Use & Misuse on 21 Nov 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10826084.2016.1240694.