Jain Roshini, Chang Ch Chiech, Koto Mpho, Geldenhuys Alden, Nichol Richard, Joubert Gina
School of Medicine, University of the Free State, South Africa.
Department of Psychiatry (G66), University of the Free State, South Africa.
S Afr J Psychiatr. 2017 Jan 20;23:1006. doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23.1006. eCollection 2017.
Faced with demanding training programmes, medical students may be more prone to use methylphenidate for non-medical purposes in order to improve concentration, alertness and academic performance.
The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the non-medical use of methylphenidate and knowledge of this drug among undergraduate medical students of the University of the Free State.
This was a cross-sectional study. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed during lectures to all students in the five year groups of the undergraduate medical programme.
Of the 643 undergraduate medical students, 541 completed the questionnaire (response rate: 84.1%). Approximately 11.0% of surveyed students were using methylphenidate at the time of the study, of which the majority (67.9%) used it for academic purposes and 70.6% received it from a medical health professional. Less than a third of users had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Methylphenidate users' median knowledge was greater than non-users, and methylphenidate knowledge increased from first-year and second-year students to third-year to fifth-year students. Median knowledge scores per year group ranged from 52.0% to 60.0%.
Methylphenidate is mainly used for non-medical purposes by medical students. Students generally have a low level of knowledge on methylphenidate. Specific information on methylphenidate should be included in lectures on stress management and study methods during the course of the medical curriculum.
面对要求严苛的培训计划，医学生可能更倾向于将哌甲酯用于非医疗目的，以提高注意力、警觉性和学业表现。
本研究旨在调查自由州大学本科医学生中哌甲酯非医疗用途的流行情况以及对该药物的了解程度。
这是一项横断面研究。在讲座期间向本科医学课程五个年级的所有学生发放了一份自行填写的匿名问卷。
在643名本科医学生中，541名完成了问卷（回复率：84.1%）。在研究期间，约11.0%的受访学生正在使用哌甲酯，其中大多数（67.9%）将其用于学业目的，70.6%的药物来自医疗卫生专业人员。不到三分之一的使用者被诊断患有注意力缺陷多动障碍。哌甲酯使用者的知识中位数高于非使用者，且从一年级和二年级学生到三年级至五年级学生，对哌甲酯的了解有所增加。每个年级组的知识得分中位数在52.0%至60.0%之间。
医学生主要将哌甲酯用于非医疗目的。学生对哌甲酯的了解普遍较低。在医学课程中关于压力管理和学习方法的讲座中应纳入有关哌甲酯的具体信息。
