Prevalence of nonmedical use of Ritalin among medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nonmedical use of Ritalin among medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

In this cross-sectional study, 607 students of 645 medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2019, selected through random sampling. They fulfilled a researcher-made questionnaire about the attitude toward Ritalin consumption, the validity of which was confirmed by five psychiatrists. Data were analyzed through the descriptive tests, Chi-square test, and SPSS-16 software.

In the present study 607 students (292 men and 315 women) were participated. Sixty-eight (11.2%) of them had a history of nonmedical use of Ritalin. Other commonly used drugs among students were alcohol (7%), cigarettes (11%), and benzodiazepines (5.2%). Also, there was no significant relationship between gender, educational stage, and marital status with nonmedical use of Ritalin among students (P> 0.05).

Based on the results, the nonmedical use of Ritalin is more common among students than alcohol and cigarettes. Also, some students have a positive view of using Ritalin to increase concentration and improve performance in exams. Due to the possibility of severe dependence on this substance, more awareness and preventive measures are needed among students.