LAUSR

The literature has shown that undergraduates engage in the misuse of prescription stimulants in large part to meet academic demands and as an attempt to alleviate academic stress. The current study examined the relationship between misusing prescription stimulants for academic purposes and academic strains (academic stress, grade strain, and academic impediments) to determine whether prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) and the types of academic strains experienced by undergraduates differed based on their college major and postgraduate education plans. We utilized survey data that had been collected from 924 students at a large southeastern university in 2014, which specifically assessed for PSM. Results indicated significant differences in the misuse of prescription stimulants based on the types of academic strains experienced, college major, and postgraduate education plans. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.