Use of prescription stimulants to enhance performance: Discourses and practices among young adults in Quebec
Non-medical, stimulant-use to enhance performance seems to be increasingly popular among American students who do not suffer from an Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this exploratory study, based on semi-structured interviews with 26 young adult Quebecers aged 20-25, was to better document the use of stimulants among college students and young workers and to understand how they construct meaning for their drug use. Results show that both students and workers use prescription stimulants to help them concentrate, enhance alertness and to allow them to work for long hours without sleep. Their objective is to improve the quality of their work and their productivity. The reasons for using stimulants to enhance performance refer to three issues: a personal flaw, a perceived imbalance between personal resources and constraints imposed by the academic or work environment, and difficulties in dealing with commitments in multiple roles. The use of stimulant drugs is presented by young adults as a strategy of self-medication and a way to adapt to environmental demands or multiple identity commitments. Stimulant medications are seen as relatively safe and effective products and their use to improve performance is considered legitimate since it serves academic or professional success.