Received 30 September 2019/ Revised 16 November 2019 / Accepted in final form 18 November 2019 / Publish Online 25 December 2019

Abstract

Medications prescribed for the treatment of neurological disorders are also used for stimulating alertness and concentration, increasing working memory and improving cognitive performance in healthy individuals. This study examines the misuse of such drugs as cognitive enhancement among Iranian university students; both primary and secondary sources of data were employed. A sample of 1,800 (graduate and undergraduate) students selected from 5 faculties in Allameh Tabataba’i University Tehran completed the questionnaires that included the demographic information and questions related to the research objectives. The findings indicated that the misuse of prescription stimulant drugs is widespread among students and that the need for success (to improved cognitive performance and boost academic grades) predicts the widespread. Thus, the study suggests that adequate public concern and sensitization that will internalize the negative effects of the drugs would be the appropriate intervention that may reduce the demand and misuse of prescription medications among the students.