Associations Between Illicit ADHD Medication Use, Social Media Use, and Coping Mechanisms of Stress Among Young Adults

The illicit use of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications has become a heavily publicized topic throughout college campuses in the United States. College-aged students make up a significant percentage of overall illicit ADHD medication users and also may be vulnerable to social media addiction. The concern lies in the idea that many young adults illicitly use medications and further use social media to engage in unhealthy coping behaviors and stress management. Examining ADHD medication misuse and its relationship with social media patterns is critical in undercovering behaviors that occur when one is stressed out and coping. Understanding these associations can provide insights into developing more effective strategies for managing stress and preventing the misuse of ADHD medications in college-aged students. This study aims to assess the impact of illicit ADHD medication use on social media use and coping mechanisms. Past research has found illicit ADHD medication use is correlated with negative mental health effects and behaviors, so it is hypothesized that illicit ADHD medication use will correlate with high stress, poor coping mechanisms, and frequent social media use. The study collected 805 responses from primarily young adults with residences in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The study included self-reported data regarding illicit Adderall use, social media use, and coping mechanisms. The survey was generated in Google Forms and was anonymous for all responders. The survey asked about prescribed and non-prescribed Adderall use, frequency of use, and dependence. Stress and coping mechanism variables were analyzed by the Coping Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Problematic social media use was measured through the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMD). The data was analyzed in SPSS, Version 28.0, using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. A positive correlation was found between feeling that difficulties have piled up so high that they could not be overcome and illicit ADHD medication use (p<0.01). Conversely, there is a negative correlation between illicit ADHD medication use and seeing the positive side of a situation (p<0.01), whereas a positive correlation between ADHD medication use and making light of a problem through humor was found (p<0.01). Additionally, failing to spend less time on social media was positively correlated with illicit ADHD medication use (p<0.01). Further, there was a negative association between ADHD medication use and lacking interest in hobbies or other activities other than social media (p<0.05). Our findings suggest that young adults who illicitly use ADHD medication are more likely to engage in frequent social media use and have difficulty managing and coping with stress. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.