Abstract
Students on college campuses use ADHD medications illicitly, often to increase their focus, concentration, and memory in an attempt to better their academic performance. These psychostimulants have an appetite suppressive effect that make them attractive for use by many college students. Psychostimulants impact the brain circuitry in a way that impacts mental health, which in turn impact eating behaviors that may lead to disordered eating. The brain reward circuits affected by ADHD medication may play a role in “pleasure-seeking behavior and food cravings.” Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ADHD medications, dietary choices and mental distress. Data has been collected from over 600 undergraduate students from several U.S. colleges. Data collection is ongoing. The survey included questions on dietary patterns, exercise practices, frequency of specific food group consumption, mental health, and ADHD medication use. Data was collected using a Google Survey and analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient in SPSS, Version 25.0. Our results suggest that there is a bidirectional relationship between ADHD medications, dietary choices and mental distress.