Non-prescribed Ritalin use among medical students and its association with depression: A study in Iran

Background

Methylphenidate, a nervous system stimulant, is the active ingredient in the brand-name medication Ritalin. The non-medical consumption of this drug is on the rise worldwide, particularly among medical students who belong to an at-risk group. However, misusing this drug can have adverse effects such as depression. In this study, we sought to evaluate the relationship between arbitrary use of Ritalin and the incidence of depression and explore associated factors.

Methods

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we examined 100 medical students enrolled at (XXX) Medical School (XXX) who reported taking at least one dose of Ritalin in the past month. We gathered participant data, including demographics such as age, education, residence status, history of psychiatric illness, and history of psychiatric medication use. Additionally, we collected information related to depression and anxiety using a questionnaire design based on the Hamilton scoring system in which a score range of 10–13 indicates mild depression, a score range of 14–17 signifies mild to moderate depression, and a score exceeding 17 indicates moderate to severe depression.

Results

Several noteworthy findings emerged from our study. We observed that the average age of female (26.45 ± 4.55, n = 39) participants was significantly higher than that of their male (24.26 ± 3.71, n = 61) counterparts (p = 0.01). Moreover, the average final depression score for students was determined to be 18.19, with a median score of 16. The data analysis revealed that 45% of students exhibited moderate to severe depression, whereas 55% experienced either no depression or only mild symptoms.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that depression is indeed a significant side effect of Ritalin use among medical students.