Do conduct problems and sensation seeking moderate the association between ADHD and three types of stimulant use in a college population?

Evidence suggests that ADHD symptoms predict increased risk for misusing stimulant medication, which may extend to misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) stimulants and illicit stimulants. Conduct-problem (CP) symptoms and sensation seeking (SS) also predict substance use and may enhance risk for stimulant use among college students with ADHD symptoms. Participants, who were undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years (N = 660; average age = 20.23 years, SD = 1.40; 30% male; 49% non-European American), completed an online survey regarding ADHD symptoms, CP symptoms, SS, and stimulant use (i.e., OTC stimulants, misuse of stimulant medication, and illicit stimulants). Results of logistic regression indicated that SS moderated the association between ADHD symptoms and OTC stimulants. Also, CP moderated the relation between ADHD symptoms and misuse of stimulant medication. Disinhibition, a subscale of SS, also moderated the association between ADHD symptoms and misuse of stimulant medication. Only CP symptoms predicted illicit stimulants. These results suggest that college students with ADHD symptoms display risk for using OTC stimulants, and that disinhibition and CP symptoms increase their risk for misuse of stimulant medication. Implications of these findings are discussed. 2013 APA, all rights reserved