US Pharm. 2012;37(7):6.
Morgantown, WV, and Macomb, IL—Nonmedical prescription drug use by college students is a growing trend. Researchers at two universities investigated nonmedical prescription drug use and depressive symptoms in college students by analyzing data on 26,600 students from a 2008 national research survey. About 13% of students reported nonmedical prescription drug use, and those who felt hopeless, depressed, sad, or suicidal were significantly more likely to report such use. This relationship was more pronounced in female students reporting painkiller use. The research suggests that students are self-medicating their psychological distress with prescription drugs.
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