Table 2.
Use of prescription and illicit drugs to enhance cognitive performance or mood without medical indication
| Substance group / Single substancesa | nb | Lifetime %c (n) | Last year %c (n) | Last month %c (n) | Last week %c (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stimulating prescription drugs | 1115 | 4.3 (48) | 2.2 (25) | 0.8 (9) | 0.3 (4) |
| Prescription drug containing amphetamines | 1112 | 1.7 (19) | 0.8 (9) | 0.3 (4) | – |
| Methylphenidate | 1110 | 2.2 (25) | 1.1 (12) | 0.3 (3) | 0.1 (1) |
| Anti-dementia drug | 1110 | 1.0 (11) | 0.6 (6) | 0.2 (2) | 0.2 (2) |
| Modafinil | 1.107 | 0.4 (4) | 0.1 (1) | 0.1 (1) | 0.1 (1) |
| Stimulating illicit drugs | 1118 | 10.2 (114) | 3.8 (42) | 1.3 (14) | 0.6 (6) |
| Cocaine | 1114 | 6.1 (68) | 1.9 (21) | 0.3 (4) | 0.1 (1) |
| Amphetamines | 1115 | 6.9 (77) | 2.5 (28) | 0.8 (9) | 0.3 (4) |
| Meth-Amphetamines | 1111 | 2.0 (22) | 0.6 (6) | 0.1 (1) | 0.1 (1) |
| Mood modulating prescription drugs | 1110 | 20.3 (225) | 10.6 (118) | 5.9 (66) | 5.6 (62) |
| Anti-depressant | 1096 | 8.5 (93) | 4.0 (44) | 1.6 (18) | 1.5 (16) |
| Beta blocker | 1080 | 8.5 (92) | 5.2 (56) | 4.1 (45) | 4.0 (43) |
| Benzodiazepines | 1088 | 8.9 (98) | 3.5 (38) | 0.9 (10) | 0.7 (8) |
| Cannabis | 1109 | 23.4 (260) | 8.6 (94) | 3.7 (40) | 2.8 (30) |
| Any medication or drug | 1121 | 38.8 (435) | 19.1 (214) | 10.1 (113) | 8.5 (95) |
N = 1128
aAs multiple selections were possible and some individuals used several substances, values could not be added up per substance group; bN refers to valid values, i.e. all observations without missing values in the respective question; cWeighted according to the distribution of the general population in Germany as reported by the German office of national statistics, n refers to the absolute frequency and % refers to the relative frequency of participants that have taken the respective substance ever in their life, in the last year, last month or last week