Non-Medical use of Methylphenidate among Students of a Medical School in the Southern of Minas Gerais State
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Abstract
Objective: Identify among the academic students, users of methylphenidate in a medical school in the southern Minas Gerais, the main reasons for the use, the access and the possible side effects. Materials and Methods: The study is a cross-sectional, quantitative and descriptive study among 120 students of six series of the medical school. The instrument used for gathering data was an anonymous self-filling questionnaire, applied between August and December 2015. Results: Among the participants, 70 (58.33%) were female and 50 (41.67%) were male and the average age was 22, 27 years. A prevalence of 25% for non-prescribed use of methylphenidate was found, with a higher proportion of use in males. Among those, 76.67% used it in order to increase their concentration in exam time. In addition, 66.67% reported having their first contact with the substance in college and 60% obtained the drug through donation of friends. The main side effects reported were: anxiety, insomnia, euphoria, tachycardia, decreased appetite, irritability, headaches and tremors. Conclusion: This study shows a high prevalence of non-prescribed use of methylphenidate by medical students.
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