Depressed Moods in Correlation with Stimulant Drug Use Research Proposal

Running Heading: Depressed Moods And Non- Medical Use Of Prescription Stimulants

Correlation between Depressed Moods and Non-medical Use of Prescription Stimulants Among College Students

Abstract
The correlation between non-medical use of prescription stimulants and prolonged depressed moods among college students is an issue that has not seen much light in the psychological research world. This study seeks to determine if there is a positive correlation between the non-medical use of prescription stimulants and prolonged depressed moods. To obtain a group of people who had experienced prolonged depressed moods, we will administer the Depressive Severity Survey (Kroenke 1989). We will then screen out those who we categorized as experiencing prolonged depressed moods and had them take a drug abuse screening test. The current studies show that there is a positive correlation between drug abuse and depressive disorders. Unlike most past research, this study seeks to identify solely the effects prescriptions stimulants have on depressed moods.

Correlation between Depressed Moods and Non-medical Use of Prescription Stimulants Among College Students This study hopes to show a correlation between non-medical use of prescription stimulants and depressed moods in college students. Epidemiologic studies have found relationships between non-medical use of prescription stimulants and the presence of depressed mood among young adults (Huang et al., 2006). Meanwhile, a recent study showed that since 1992, the number of adolescents, ages 12-17, in the general population reported non-medical prescription drug use increased 212% (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2005). Also, National College Health Assessment (NCHA) II found that many college students self-report being so depressed that they have difficulty functioning (NCHA, 2004). The growing trend of non-medical prescription drug use among young adults generally, and

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