New research quantifies problem of prescription stimulant misuse

According to data culled from 2015 and 2016 national surveys, about half as many U.S. adults misused prescription stimulants as the number of individuals who used the drugs appropriately. Results of the first comprehensive analysis of prescription stimulant use and disorders were published online this week in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The study, based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, found that among the 16 million U.S. adults reporting past-year use of prescription stimulants such as Adderall, 11 million used them without incidents of misuse and 5 million misued them at least once. Around 400,000 individuals had a prescription stimulant use disorder.

The study found that help with alertness or concentration was the most frequently cited reason for prescription stimulant misuse, while receiving the drugs free from friends or relatives was the most common source of misused stimulants.

The researchers also reported that all forms of stimulant use and misuse were more common among adults with substance use problems, depressive episodes, and suicidal ideation.