Running Head: PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

The Unseen Side Effects: The Emotional Effects Being Prescribed Drugs Has On College
Students
Virginia Bonds & Colin Boyd

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Abstract
This study explores the possible effects prescription drugs can have on a college students
perception of self. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, using 10 James
Madison University students that all had, or are currently using prescription drugs. These
interviews ranged from approximately 10 minutes to 30 minutes, were audio recorded,
and then transcribed. Major findings of the study showed there was a shift in self-view
once the participants began taking prescription drugs and there were implications
regarding the social discussion on mental illness. The results may partially explain the
reason for a raise in mental health on college campuses. It may also help in solving the
negative stigmas that prescription drug use holds.
Key Words: prescription drugs, college students, self-perception, stigmas, mental health

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Significant negative stigmas continue to surround mental illnesses and mental

health issues, despite the growing platform of conversations aimed to fight them. The
mentally ill are sometimes seen as non contributive to society, lazy, weak, or as overly
dramatic and seeking attention. Unfortunately, stigmas can cause a person that needs
medication to not seek help, so to not be seen as their stigma, and possibly even begin to
see themselves the way stigma illustrates them (Corrigan, 2004). Unfortunately, these
self-views are not typically caused by personal beliefs, but from influencers such as
advertisements and stigmas (Martinez & Lewis, 2009). A majority of these social stigmas
are focused on the worst case scenario of the disability or mental illness, which may
cause others view those suffering as incapable to function in society. Though evidence
shows that most people are typically tolerant of the mentally ill, there is evidence that
they are not exactly willing to give those with mental illnesses large responsibility, for
example responsibilities that come along with marriage (Brockington et al, 1993), which
also adds to the view that those who are mentally ill cannot function properly in society.
Depending on the extent of the illness, this may be true, however, one must take into
consideration the fact that there are many people with illnesses who are able to function
and add positively to our society.
The stigmas surrounding prescription drugs are more pointed towards what the
drugs treat, for example, the stigmas surrounding mental health drugs are the stigmas that
surround mental health. However, views of illegal prescription drug usage are quite
different, especially when it involves the college student population. The increase of nonprescription Adderall as an aid for school by students causes others to see people with
ADHD differently because of this illicit use (Jardin et al, 2011; Judson & Langdon,

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2009). Also, since the popularity of illicit stimulants is growing, more and more students
are feeling pressures to try the drugs, whether they need them or not. (Souzza, R.,
Peterson, J., Brakke, K, 2015). This will only perpetuate the feeling of difference
amongst young adults who are actually using the drugs in a legal, medical manner; the
use of these drugs illegally may undermine their actual issue. In addition to this, there is
a large problem with students self-diagnosing themselves and therefore taking medication
illegally (Judson & Langdon, 2009). These self-diagnosers may have a very different
view of who they are than people diagnosed and prescribed drugs by a doctor.
Within the past 15 years there has been a significant increase in college students
with serious mental health problems, or at least college students who are taking
prescription drugs for them. 9% of students were on medication for mental health issues
in 1994, which has increased to 26% in 2008 (Kirsch et al., 2015). The increase in
students taking prescription drugs for these issues is alarming, especially because its
something we dont necessarily hear about. People do not tend to talk about the drugs
they take and how they have changed their self-views.
We would like to examine exactly how prescription drugs affect college students,
to analyze how they view themselves differently, what labels a prescription drug puts on a
student, and the emotions that accompany this process. Our study would shed light into
the minds of college students suffering from various illnesses or treating any sort of
physical condition, and help medical professionals approach giving prescriptions in a
different, possibly more positive way. Having an illness or condition that requires a
prescription drug is no reason to negatively change a persons self-perception.

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We begin with a review of literature regarding prescriptions drugs using different

elements and sub categories of the research. After, we will explain the methods that went
into completing our study, then presenting an analysis of the data. Finally, we discuss the
findings of the study and the significance of the findings. Concluding the paper, we will
give advice for further study.
Literature Review
Raise in Mental Illness
There has been a significant rise in college aged students that have a mental
illness and/or are taking medication for their prescribed condition (Kirsch et al., 2015;
Whitaker, 2007). Kirsch, Doerfler and Truong (2015) explored the prevalence of mental
health issues of college students, finding that 9% of students were on medication for
mental health issues in 1994 and that number had increased to 26% by 2008. In 2015, the
American College Health Association (ACHA) in Partnership with the National College
Health Assessment (NCHA) reported that 15.8% of college students were being treated
for anxiety and 13.1% for depression, 9.6% reported being treated for both. The
surprising statistics that come from Kirsch et al. (2015) and the ACHA and NCHA
question what is causing these dramatic increases in mental illness.
Many students are beginning to use their university counseling centers, and
researchers have many speculations as to why. With depression, anxiety disorder,
substance abuse disorder and ADHD making up a large majority of the amount of
students entered into the university counseling centers, it may suggest that if either social
stigma or college itself can be a deciding factor, (Kirsch et al. 2015). Or the problem

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could be that college aged kids are being prescribed medication that is either unnecessary
or prescribed at too high a dose (Whitaker, 2007).
Whitaker (2007) commented on the issue saying, why the rush to treat people
with drugs?. The Whitaker goes into the argument that the United States is a country of
easy fixes. That may be a possible reason as to why there has been an increase in
prescription medication prescribed to college students. Kirsch et. al (2015) evaluated
college kids prior to going to a consultation service and after . Prior to evaluation, 46%
of students had been prescribed at least 1 psychotropic medication. That percentage
increased to 91% at the conclusion of the evaluation (Kirsch et. al, 2015). This may
support what Whitaker idea that doctors prescribe medication to the mentally ill with very
little consideration.
Stigmas of Prescription Drugs
Corrigan (2004) discusses how social stigmas interfere with mental health care,
specifically why those who suffer from mental illness do not seek help or stop treatments
after starting. The main reason would be to avoid the labels society gives the mentally ill
and the harm it has on those affected. Stigmas bring forth two types of harm which may
prevent a person with a mental illness from receiving treatment: It strips people of social
opportunities and it decreases their self-esteem (Corrigan, 2004). The label mentally ill
can cause a person to experience prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination. They may be
robbed of positive social experiences. It especially can cause injustice in the criminal
justice system. When police respond the mental health crises rather than the mental health
system, it can result in the unjust placement of the mentally ill in our prison system
(Corrigan, 2004). The stigma towards the mentally can also cause a decrease in self-

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esteem because a person with a mental illness may see themselves as less of a person and
that they are less valued due to their disorder (Corrigan, 2004).
Sometimes stigma can be helpful towards a person suffering from a mental image
like when being more supportive when seeing depression advertisements (Jin, 2015), or
when learning that some peoples perception towards mental illness is favorable (Day et.
al, 2007). When watching advertisements about depression and depression prescription
their opinions on the stigma of depression increased (Jin, 2015). In addition, people who
are introduced to depression ads tend to recognize the amount of people that suffer from
depression. When the prevalence of depression is recognized, the stigma of depression is
affected (Jin, 2015). This illustrates that people who follow this stigma are therefore more
contented with people suffering from the illness (Jin, 2015). Additionally, Day et. al
(2007) used a different test but with similar results. Prior experience and relationships is a
significant factor on how a person with a mental illness is stigmatized. People who know
someone with a mental illness are far more likely to have a favorable stigma towards the
illness than people who dont know someone (Day et. al, 2007). However the mentally ill
still face stigmas (Corrigan, 2004; Day et. al, 2007; Jin, 2015) both negative and positive,
regarding to their illness that may possibly change the way they see themselves.
Media and Media Influences
The media have a large effect on how the world views people with mental
disabilities. Unfortunately, it has yet to foster an image of acceptance. The most positive
media campaign was that of genetic optimism, which describes the three elements
reports had towards the mental illness and genetics links. Those were, a gene for the

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disorder exists; it will be found; and it will be good (Conrad, 2001). Already, this idea
only focuses on cures, not necessarily help and acceptance if there is no cure.
However, despite the negative stigmas towards mental illness, studies have found
that the media running ads about depression and the amount of people who suffer from it
has had somewhat of a positive effect, as well as a negative one. Those following the ads
were more likely to be supportive and comfortable with people who suffer from
depression (Jin, 2015). However, Martinez and Lewis (2009) found that people who did
not like the media strategy of direct to consumer advertising did not favor the use of
antidepressants, especially in teens and young adults. This could be dangerous because it
could keep young adults who are suffering from a mental illness from approaching their
parents, and thus approaching their doctor, about a medication that could possibly help
their symptoms.
Views of Prescription Drugs
Views on prescription drugs do not only come from stigmas, but can come from
other media, as well. Martinez and Lewis (2009) discuss how a direct to consumer
advertising can actually have a negative effect on a persons views and opinions about a
drug, or in this case an anti-depressive drug to help youths. In a direct argument against
the previously discussed article by Jin (2015), Martinez and Lewis say advertisements
hinder the opinions and Jin says they help opinions. Jin says that the recognition of a
mental illness creates less of a negative stigma whereas Martinez and Lewis say the
disruption of the commercial or advertisements immediately gives the prescription a bad
view. (Jin, 2015; Martinez & Lewis, 2009).

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When surveyed in the Brockington et al. study (1993), people were very
supportive of the mentally ill and prescription users. Being in favor of asylums getting
more tax money and having mentally ill be able to be in neighborhoods shows an
acceptance of the mentally ill and prescription users. However, college students largely
overestimate the number of fellow students who use nonmedical prescription drugs
(McCabe, 2008). This is an issue because students may begin to take nonmedical
prescription drugs under the idea that everyone else is doing it.
Non-Users and Illegal Users of Prescription Drugs
Another area to consider is the illicit use of prescription drugs. A rising issue
amongst college students is the illegal use of prescription drugs to seek a high or to use
as an aid for academic success. The most prevalent of these two, especially in an
academic setting, is academic success. In a 2009 study, 20% of the 333 college students
interviewed had illegally used ADHD medications to help with academic success (Judson
& Langdon 2009). In a study conducted by R.D. Aikins (Aikins 2011) at a prominent
West Coast university, both students who were illegally using prescription drugs and
legally prescribed drugs were mostly using them for academic success. Gender, race,
marital status, sexual activity, marijuana use, and social are also large predictors of drug
use, as well (Ford 2008). Along with striving for academic success, studies have found
that a percentage of athletes use the drugs seeking improvement in their athletic
performance (Hoyte et al., 2013). Just over half of the student athletes reported the use of
prescription drugs to enhance their athleticism . Like recreational drugs, many students
try prescription drugs because their friends said they should try them (Souzza et. al 2015).
The more a drug is talked about, the more likely students are to try it.

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Examples of the many demographic and other predictors that distinguish between
medical and illicit street drug use are; having never been married increased the odds of
reporting illicit/ street drug use by 138% and Being white decreased the odds of
reporting illicit/street drug use by 51%. Though prescription medications may not be
classified as a street drug, they do fit under the category of illicit drugs if being taken
without a prescription. A separate study concluded that white males who are a part of
Greek life were the most likely demographic to misuse prescription drugs (McCabe et al.,
2014). Students who misuse medications were also found to have no preference for any
sort of drug, would take it in combination with other drugs, and were more likely to take
stimulants (Rozenbroek & Rothstein 2011). However, it is less likely for younger
students with higher GPAs were less likely to partake in illegal prescription drug use
(Clegg-Kraynok et. al 2011).
A very worrisome aspect of the nonmedical use of prescription drugs is some of
the dangerous drug habits that accompany it. It is not just nonmedical users who partake
in these habis, students who show symptoms of mental illnesses and have medical
prescriptions can also be misusers. A study conducted in 2011 found that students with
ADHD symptoms who misused their own prescriptions were more likely to be seeking a
high (Jardin et al., 2011). Along with their prescription drugs, these misusers were more
likely to abuse other recreational drugs, such as nicotine, marijuana, hallucinogens,
opiates and cocaine. Many college students were found to have also co-ingested
prescription medicines with alcohol, leading researchers to identify alcohol misuse as a
predictor for the misuse of prescription drugs (Messina et al., 2014). This misuse, in
particular, is especially dangerous due to the nature of the other illegal drugs involved.

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Although cases of misuse all have an element of danger, an interesting element

that arises is the danger of mistakenly self-diagnosing oneself. The illegal use of
cognitive enhancers is that it may lead normal, healthy students to believe that they have
a learning disability, causing them to search for drugs that are illegal or dangerous to find
(Aikins 2011). Judson and Langdon (2009) found that 38.7% of their participants had
self-diagnosed themselves and use prescription medications.
Although students mostly take these drugs to further their academic success, they
may be doing more harm than good. The misuse of these drugs can only be furthering the
stigmas that face students who legally take prescription drugs. How do they feel about the
misuse of drugs that they take just to achieve a normal day? Do they feel as if they are
at a disadvantage? Does it change their self-view? These questions led to the emergence
of two research questions:
R1: How do college students who take prescription medication legally view
themselves in relation to their use of prescription drugs?
R2: What stigmas do these students encounter?
Methods
The purpose of this study is to examine how college students experience a change in selfperception in connection to the prescription drugs they take and how being prescribed the
drugs effects them emotionally. Qualitative methods are appropriate for our study
because we are seeking to understand each of the participants individual thoughts and
emotions surrounding the issue, discovering the common themes that arise among them.
The qualitative method of semi-structured interviewing would be the best method to do
this, especially considering the sensitive topic area the study addresses.

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Participants and Data Collection

A total of 10 students participated, two male (2%) and eight females (80%). Ages
ranged from 18 to 25 (M = 21.2). All students self-identified as Caucasian (n = 10;
100%), and are currently or were recently taking prescribed drugs (n= 100, 100%).
Students represented the following educational levels: sophomore, (n = 1; 10%), junior (n
= 3; 30%), senior (n = 4; 40%), and post-baccalaureate (n = 2; 20%). Students reported a
variety of majors, with communication being the most popular (n = 3; 30%), followed by
Media Arts and Design (n= 2; 20%), phycology (n= 2; 20%), art and art history(n = 1,
10%), and foreign language (n = 1; 10%). Four participants were taking mental health
drugs (n= 4, 40%), three were taking birth control medication (n=3, 30%), one was taking
asthma medication (n=1, 10%), one was taking psoriasis medication (n=1, 10%), and one
had recently been taking Vicodin (n-1, 10%).
After receiving IRB approval, we recruited students through convenience sample
of people we knew who take medication they have been prescribed. We also used
snowball sampling; our participants referred us to other students who use prescription
drugs. We conducted interviews that followed a semi-structured interview protocol with
questions focusing on how they think prescriptions drugs have changed their perception
of self, whether it bothers the interviewee that they take prescription drugs, what social
stigmas people that take prescription drugs face and the overall opinion of how the
interviewee perceives prescription drugs. Semi-structured protocols assume that the
interview is a co-constructed experience and encourage other issues to emerge during the
interview (Heyl, 2001). We probed participant answers and noted nonverbal agreement

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or disagreement by other participants. The interviews, which we audiotaped and

transcribed, lasted about 25 minutes each.
Data Analysis
We analyzed the data using a thematic constant comparative method (Glaser &
Strauss, 1967). We individually read over the focus group transcripts several times to
gain a complete understanding of participants experiences and to ensure that any
potential themes were grounded in the data (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) and analyzed the
data interpretively, focusing on major ideas and meaning, rather than specific speech
turns or phrases (Lindlof & Taylor, 2010). We open-coded the data individually to
identify potential themes we observed, and then came together to integrate our findings
into common, overarching themes. We identified repeated and particularly illustrative
comments representing the themes (Charmaz & Mitchell, 2001), using a variety of
quotations from participants to demonstrate rich rigor, thick description, and concrete
detail (Tracy, 2010). Quotations from participants, identified with pseudonyms,
underscore the themes and deepen the analysis. We removed vocal fillers and added
punctuation for clarity, where appropriate. We also engaged in analyst triangulation
(Patton, 1999); our qualitative research professor read over earlier drafts of the paper,
providing feedback based on her interpretation. We present below our interpretation of
the extent at which prescription drugs can take an emotional toll on college students, and
how prescription drugs can alter their self-perceptions.
Analysis
Within our interviews we had a lot of data to sort through to understand the
emotional toll that prescription drugs can have on a person. After combing through the

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data, three themes emerged. The first theme was the negative perception of self that
followed shortly after their diagnosis. The interviewees saw themselves as different, and
a large majority had a negative perception of self. The second theme was that, almost all
of the participants had negative comments when asked their opinion of the illegal use of
prescription medication. An example of this being college students using Adderall. The
final theme was the participants who took prescription drugs for mental illness
expounded more on the social stigmas that face all people with mental illness.
Perception of Self
Perception of self was a recurring theme amongst our interviews. Not only did
some participants feel as if their prescription drug use negatively impacted their
emotional well-being, some of the participants showed that prescription drugs helped
them for the better. Some participants reported safety and happiness even with the
recognition that they may be labeled by the stigmas behind prescription drugs. This sense
of self is important when attempting to understand the broader topic of how prescription
drugs can affect a person. Our first theme, perception of self, can be the indicating factor
in seeing whether or not prescription drugs have an effect on a persons perception of self
and emotional state.
All of our participants who were taking birth control reported that they felt
awkward about themselves when they were first prescribed the medicine. I was slutshaming myself for taking birth control, said Janet, who began taking it when she was
18 years old. Im too young for this. she used to think.
Colleen, who started taking the pill in high school, also felt a little awkward about
it. I never needed it for birth control reasons, always just for medical ones. My mom

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actually told me not to tell anyone I was on birth control...she didnt want people to talk.
But now that Im in college I dont really see it as anything different. The other students
who took birth control noticed a perception change from high school to college now.
Now I know a lot of people who are on birth control, noted Colleen. In college, its
almost expected for young women to be on birth control its so common.
When interviewing the participants, we noticed Cole, who suffers from mild
psoriasis, began to see himself differently a little while after he was prescribed his drugs,
which are high strength shampoos. Because he uses high strength shampoos, he feels as if
his emotional well-being may be tainted. Everything changed for him we he started
paying for the medicine himself. Theyre not the cheapest thing in the world, he said. I
mean it hasnt lowered my self-confidence, but I wanna know...Im thinking these minor
drugs have effects on you emotionally. When his psoriasis flares up due to stress, he
isnt exactly sure what to do. Should I use [the shampoo] more often? He feels like hes
in a much more emotional state, and is beginning to question if even the minor psoriasis
drugs that he takes are affecting him in some way. Cole goes on saying, For some
stronger psoriasis drugs there is [strong side effects]... like your immune system might
shut down for a week. Reading about all of these other drugs and the effects that they
can have on the takers has made him question his taking of these weaker prescription
drugs, causing him to worry about the possible effects they may have had on him. Cole
worrying about the future can be an additional problem, more than just immediate
emotional toll. With Cole looking into the future, it may add stress and anxiety to how he
feels. This outlook can cause a greater sense of pressure in addition to the current stigmas
and labels that Cole currently feels.

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Juliette, who takes drugs for anxiety and depression, felt differently when it came
to self-perception. Because of medication Juliette doesnt have a negative view of
prescription drugs and she believes it doesnt bring her towards emotional turmoil but
emotional tranquility. There is so much stigma around those medications, so it made me
feel almost weak. Because you need prescription medicines to live daily life, which some
people might view as pathetic. Over the years though, shes gotten used to that feeling,
and accepts it. Since Ive been on them for about two years now, its made my life
normal, she says. Before... I didnt know what it was like to be a normal person. Her
anxiety was overwhelming, causing her to be anxious most of the time, not leaving any
room to relax and live life. Now shes feeling good, thanks to her medicine, and feels like
it has helped her grow in a more positive light. She feels like she is more empathetic to
situations involving mental health than she was before. I have friends who struggle with
mental health problems, and I feel more comfortable talking to them about it because Ive
been there. She does think that if she hadnt struggled with these issues and taken
medication, she wouldnt be able to relate as much as she does now. If I hadnt, its not
that I wouldnt feel comfortable about it, its just that I wouldnt really know how to
handle the situation. Her diagnosis and prescriptions have helped her grow, helping her
open up to those in similar situations so that they have someone who can empathize with
them.
Some participants on birth control said it also gave them a feeling of safety. I did
have a boyfriend at the time [I started taking birth control], so its better safe than sorry,
Janet said. Her mom had been the one to suggest she take it, and Janet believed it might
have had something to do with her boyfriend. And I was going off to college, she

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continued, so that helped. As Monica said, it made her feel safe and responsible. Its a
nice safety blanket, Its like, cool, Im in control of my body...It makes me feel in control,
which I like.
In addition, Margaret also saw herself in a more positive light once she began
taking prescription drugs, which was different than the common trend found. She takes
multiple prescription medications for bipolar disorder, thyroids, liver, kidney, stomach,
and bulimia, which she is recovering from. She feels like a different person due to her
mental illness. It changes how you perceive the world and how you perceive yourself.
And it changes the interaction between yourself and the world. I would definitely feel
different if that [her mental illness] was not a part of my life. But her prescription
medications have a powerful positive effect. They helped me a lot, she said. My selfperception changes in that it [the drugs] alleviated a lot of mental health symptom that
were affecting my self-perception and my self-image. She saw a huge change in her
brain chemistry, helping her function more to be more positive about life. I was able to
perform daily tasks a lot easier. It is a drastic change from how she felt before taking the
prescription medication. I wasnt functioning as a human being. I wasnt getting dressed
or showering or anything like that. So, with the addition of the medication I was able to
do those things. I was able to go to class and stuff like that. And that really increases
someone's self-image and makes them more positive.
Overall, this theme not only showed that prescription drugs could have a negative
effect on a persons emotions, but a positive effect as well. Showing these different cases
is an indication that prescription drugs can affect a persons perception of self.
Discovering this theme displays the ability a drug can have on society.

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Reaction to illegal prescription drug use

This theme covers the thoughts that the participants, who are all legally prescribed
drugs, towards those who take prescription drugs illegally. Almost all of the participants
viewed taking prescription drugs illegally poorly. Its because theyre prescription that
people think its okay, its better...says Juliette. Those drugs can save peoples lives,
and thats not fair to take them when you dont need them. Youre not a doctor, says
Colleen, even if you think you need it, you dont know you need this. Colleen brought
up another issue that illegal prescription drug use could cause, self-diagnosing, when
people believe they have a certain medical condition when a doctor hasnt diagnosed
them. If people are self-diagnosing left and right and taking all of these prescription
medicines, then people who do actually need those medicines...its like the boy who cried
wolf. Throughout the interview with Colleen, her negative views of the illegal use of
prescription drugs were evident. She continues by explaining the unfairness behind selfdiagnosing, saying that it takes away the attention from those who really need treatment.
If you really do feel the need to take these drugs, then what you really need to do is go
see a doctor. Colleen hints at the topic of this whole paper that it may cause emotional
issues on people with these illnesses. If people are diminishing the views of prescription
drugs it takes away the attention from those who really need treatment.
Ignorance of the non-prescribed drug a person is taking can be a large problem
and can seriously harm a person if not done without research. Our participant Cole
explains this point when talking about the risks people go through when taking nonprescribed drugs. Cole was bothered by the fact that many people who take prescription
drugs illegal dont really know what theyre taking or the effects that it could have one

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them. When I see how powerful prescription drugs are, I think people who take them
who dont need them, they dont know. He went on to discuss the danger that
accompanies the illegal use of prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are often viewed as
safer because doctors have given their signal of approval on them. However, people who
take them illegally forget the drugs were not written specifically for themselves. Juliette
elaborates on this by saying, because its prescription they might think they can take
three or four pills when in reality youre supposed to take half a pill. Chris, though he
disapproves of the practice of taking prescription drugs illegally, thinks that people
should research the drugs if they are going to take them without a prescription. Unless
they are educated in what theyre taking, they should stay away from them. Even though
a doctor gives his approval on certain drugs doesnt mean that those who take them,
legally or illegally, know exactly what they are putting into their bodies.
When Janet was asked about taking prescription drugs illegally, she had a very
different approach. She was more nervous about the legal consequences of the actions.
That just makes me nervous, she said. I just stay away from that. You can get in
serious trouble for taking drugs that arent yours. Janet has family members in the
military, so she sees this area much differently than the rest of the participants. Her sister
is looking to apply for a high-level government job, so shes seen how seriously the
government takes this issue. Her record needs to be spotless, and that stuff goes on your
record. She stilled viewed the practice, in a negative light and as dangerous, however
her worries were more centered around the legal consequences rather than the physical
dangers or the harm the illegal practice has on those who take the drugs legally.

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Even though most of the participants viewed partaking in prescription drugs

illegally as a bad practice, we had one participant who had no feelings towards the
practice at all. Margaret did not see that as any different than recreationally partaking in
any other illegal drugs. If someone were to use my drugs, and then I couldnt take them,
I would have a problem with that. Or if someone were taking drugs from someone who
needs them. Other than that, she wasnt bothered at all by the illegal use of prescription
drugs. Out of all of our participants, Margaret was taking the most prescription drugs out
of everyone interviewed. While they all have disapproval for the illegal practice,
Margaret did not show much feeling towards it at all. As long as no one was taking her
drugs away from her, she wasnt bothered.
The taking of non-prescribed medication had an overall negative outlook. A main
focus was put onto Adderall, which is taken for people that suffer with attention deficit
disorder. Other than the one participant that doesnt see taking non-prescribed drugs as an
issue, the other nine had a negative outlook because of safety and lack of knowledge.
Their overall message was saying that if a person wasnt prescribed the medication they
shouldnt be taking that medication.
Social Stigmas
The final theme is about the participants views of social stigmas. When asked if
they personally face social stigmas, the participants that took prescription drugs relating
to mental illness expounded more on the social stigmas that all people with mental illness
face. Not many dove into the social stigmas that faced them as much as the cohort of
people with mental disabilities. Many agreed on the idea that people with mental illness
are seen as not normal and stating as Becky did, Mental illness still has a stigma

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around it. It was found whether or not these participants are backing up the illness as a
whole because they feel as if they are part of a group because they have this common
denominator.
When people find out a person has a mental illness, because of the social stigma
as Gracie says, The questions that follow are why? Whats wrong with you? Or people
look at you differently or think about you differently. This leads to the issue that Britney
mentions which is the fact that she know some people that maybe should be on
medication that definitely dont want to be on medication just because they want to feel
like they need something else. The social stigma around the term mental illness is
possibly causing turmoil on people and students making them not seek medical or
emotional help. If a doctor prescribes or recommends a medication to a student with an
illness to make them better, that student may be afraid of the stigma that is given.
Gracie and Britney here are explaining that people are uneducated about prescription
drugs and mental illness, which is a big reason for these stigmas. Britney and Gracie talk
about how this lack of education allows people to ask questions like, whats wrong
which cause emotional hardships for the person with the illness. It is widely agreed
throughout the interviews that people are ignorant and dont understand the bigger
meaning. Britney gives an example of something she heard from another person when
they said, Ive heard someone describe someone with a mental disability as they just
dont think like us.
Gracie explains a reason why she thinks there is such a large social stigma
surrounding mental illness, rather than speaking social stigmas specifically, it is more
about what society considers as acceptable disabilities. Gracie goes into talking about

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the idea of visible disabilities to invisible disabilities saying, I think because things like
depression anxiety and PTSD are things you cannot see, theyre just things make you
behave weird, people are just uncomfortable with that. Because its not obvious, they
cant that person is schizophrenic, thats why hes randomly talking about rice. Where if
you see someone with a broken leg, they take the elevator instead of the stairs its like oh
they have a broken leg obviously hes taking the elevator. If he didnt show any sign of
having a physical injury and he kind of just acted weird like he did have a physical injury,
wed probably think that was weird too. Explaining this, she is talking about the way in
which people with mental disabilities are viewed and why they are viewed that way.
Britney also backs up this idea of the mystery of the unseen with a story she told about
her mother. Her mother has extreme anxiety and had to take pills before getting on a
plane. When her mother was taking her medication, younger Britney loudly asked if that
was her anxiety medication to her mothers horror and embarrassment. Britney goes into
talking about the idea of whether or not that actually would have happened if mental
illness didnt have that stigma. The unknown and the unfamiliar cause uncomfortableness
and confusion. Becky explains this well when she says but there are definitely some
people I know that I dont talk to them about this sort of stuff because I know it will make
them uncomfortable which in return makes me uncomfortable. They dont see the
mental illness, and this unfamiliarness easily leads to discomfort.
There were many similarities or themes throughout all ten interviews done during
the study. In short, these themes were a negative perception of self, negative ideas about
illegal prescription drug use and the students that take drugs for mental illness referring to
the group rather than the individual. It can be seen through these themes that prescription

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drugs have an effect when it comes to students and their emotions. Whether it be slut
shaming yourself due to birth control, or finding a group of anxiety riddled friends,
prescription drugs can be a significant factor in a students day-to-day life.
Discussion
Through our research, we have found many themes involving change in selfperception and view of social stigmas. These two themes mixed and melded together as
the participants shared their experiences and views towards the prescription drugs they
take. We discovered that birth control and mental health drugs have completely different
stigmas surrounding them and their users, as these users age, and enter different social
groups, these stigmas change. Along with the implications of our research, we have also
examined the practical applications of our findings and what limitations may occur in
future studies conducted along this topic.
Though self-perception is unique to the individual, we found many similar
perceptions of self in our participants. This leads to understanding that similarities form
between people who take the same type of drugs. Commonalities can be found between
people who take the same drug whether it is for birth control or depression. For example,
the female participants who used prescription birth control all felt similarly when they
first began taking the medication in high school. They worried about being judged by
others who believed they were taking the medication as a sexual contraceptive, even
though many of them were taking it for medical reasons, such as acne and menstrual
regulation. One participant, Janet, said that she was almost slut shaming herself for taking
birth control, even though she wasnt having sex. However, once entering college, the
participants also showed similar feelings that the atmosphere had changed. Sure, they still

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did not openly talk much about birth control, but they did not feel judged if people knew.
Birth control is much more common on college campuses; it is much more of a surprise
to find out that a woman is not on birth control.
In this way, the participants self-perception ties into social stigmas. What
changed from high school to college to make the participants feel a little more
comfortable about their use of birth control? It is possible that because college campuses
are much more open about sex than high schools that they feel more comfortable taking
it, even if they are not taking it as a contraceptive. Sexual education in most high schools
focus on abstinence, labeling sex as a sort of forbidden fruit. If birth control is talked
about in high school, it is generally in relation to sex without focusing on the other
benefits it offers. The general name of the drug is birth control, implying that the
consumer is taking it to avoid having a baby, even if they are not.
The name birth control may have a direct influence behind the stigma given to the
prescription drug. Some girls use birth control for non-contraceptive reasons, like acne
and period regulation, and the term birth control incorrectly sheds a sexual connotation
on the reason they use the drug. Instead of calling it birth control, changing the name of
the drugs to Estrogen and Progesterone tablets, which are the hormones that make up
birth control pills, may be able to alleviate the negative stigmas surrounding the drugs.
When it comes to mental health drugs, there is a completely different stigma,
which doesnt offer any easy solutions to end. As said by our participants, the view of
those taking mental health drugs is not positive; those on the drugs are viewed as weak
and not able to function, possibly as dramatic people who are only seeking attention.
These stigmas have had an effect on our participants, as well. Juliette stated that it bothers

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her that she has to take a drug to reach a normal functioning level; it makes her feel weak.
She tends to stray away from the topic amongst her friends. From these accounts it can be
implied that the stigma behind mental health drugs can lead to stigmas on mental health
patients. The stigma that is behind mental health drugs themselves can also affect the
person taking them in that making them feel weak.
Despite many people hiding their mental health issues, there are a handful of
those who openly share their experiences and publicly work to advocate for those who
also have mental health issues. One of our participants, Margaret, is doing just that. She
stated that she doesnt feel like she personally faces mental health stigma because she has
been able to surround herself with people who understand her situation. Shes extremely
open with anyone who asks about her experiences, and seeks to educate people in mental
health issues, pushing society to be more understanding and less stigmatized. Her
experience implies that not all people who take mental health medications view
themselves in a negative light regarding their prescriptions.
Another participant, Becky, reported using the same sort of strategy as Margaret,
surrounding herself with those who understand her mental health issues, but she disclosed
that her friends have also had the same sort of anxiety issues that she has coped with. She
says that they stick together, and she feels much more comfortable with them knowing
that they have shared experiences with mental health. Unlike Margaret, she isnt open
with her experience outside of that friend group because she feels the need to defend
the fact that she has anxiety, because many people view people with mental health issues,
like anxiety, as overly dramatic. Her experience shows that there is still feat in the

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community of those who suffer from mental illness, and that they feel the need to defend
the fact that their suffering is real.
This may stem from those who have either faked mental health issues for
attention, or those who have self diagnosed and medicated illegally without consultation
from a doctor. Illegal use of prescription drugs is a profound issue that faces society
today, especially on college campuses. Our participants mentioned many cases of those
using prescription drugs illegally, in ways that they viewed as unfair and detrimental to
those who actually suffer from mental health issues. Many participants stated that it takes
attention away from the people who really need the attention because it mixes them in
with those who take mental health drugs illegally.
However, our participants have illustrated a community of people with shared
mental health experience and those who are understanding of those with mental health
issues, who support each other and offer comfort. As advocates of mental health issues
press towards de-stigmatizing societal views towards mental health, this group could
grow, creating a more caring and open place for people to talk about and, hopefully, work
through the mental health issues that they face.
Practical Applications
This research can be practically applicable in many ways. In our interviews of
students that take birth control, we ran into the problem of slut shaming. Even though it
may have been more for acne or regulation at the time, participants still felt that others
assumed that they were taking it to avoid pregnancy, implying that they were sexually
active. We can use this information to learn how to talk more about birth control and its
other uses, which is not typically talked about. We can move forward with the

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understanding that not all women who take it use it as a contraceptive. This information
could be valuable to health teachers in middle and high schools, especially when it comes
to sexual education. If this information is taught in classes, it has the potential to diminish
the negative and sexual stigma surrounding birth control.
The final application for this study is adding to the mental health conversation.
Stigmas are seen to be the biggest problem when speaking with the interviewees. The
labels put on these students have huge implications on their mental well-being. Adding
and reiterating the stigmas that follow prescription drug use, specifically drugs for mental
issues, is important so to bring light to this problem.
Limitation and Future Direction
We ran into two large limitations in our study. The first one was a small sample
size. This topic needed more than 10 interviews to get a better grasp of the results. By just
using James Madison University students through a convenience sample, there was not
much of a large demographic of the participants. Not only get samples from different
school but also from a different demographic. It may also be interesting to compare the
difference between college aged and High School aged kids, discovering if there is a
difference between the two groups.
The other main limitation is the fact that our topic was too broad. Throughout our
research we realized that the research project could have just focused on one drug or one
ailment and would better be able to hone to one idea rather than the broad topic of all
prescription drugs. Being so broad, our interviews werent similar if one had taken drugs
for anxiety and the other antibiotics. If we were to focus on one disease, for example

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anxiety and depression drugs, than all of our interviews would be similar and better able
to show comparisons.
In our study, we have created a platform of which many other future studies. The
first is focusing on the students that talked about anxiety and depression and use the
information to create their own process for gathering data. Because a good amount of our
interviews were from students with anxiety and depression it would be easier to use that
data to create a new study.
There was also a significant amount of negativity towards using prescription
drugs that are not prescribed to that person. There was a large focus on college students
and un-prescribed ADHD medication. Researchers can use the information gathered to
ask the question why do college students take ADHD medication for greater success in
school?. The interviewees thought this was a big problem, and sometimes seemed to
take up a good amount of the interview. They found this to be a big and growing issue
and a study regarding those actions would be highly beneficial.
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