Dive Summary:
- Dozens of colleges are implementing stricter rules for A.D.H.D. diagnosis and the prescription of amphetamine-based medications like Vyvanse and Adderall, with some schools questioning whether their student health offices should even handle A.D.H.D. to begin with.
- As much as 35% of college students are estimated to abuse the stimulants prescribed to A.D.H.D. patients in order to boost their focus and drive during finals, but abuse of the meds can result in anxiety, depression and psychosis.
- The University of Alabama, Marist College and Fresno State are among schools requiring students to sign contracts against misusing the pills or giving them to classmates, and schools like George Mason and William & Mary have forbidden diagnosis or prescription of stimulants all together.
From the article:
... “As much as it stunk, it’s nice to know, ‘O.K., this is legit,' ” said Ms. Beach, a senior at California State University, Fresno. The rigorous process, she added, has deterred some peers from using the student health office to obtain A.D.H.D. medications, stimulants long abused on college campuses. “I tell them it takes a couple months,” Ms. Beach said, “and they’re like, ‘Oh, never mind.’ ” ...