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Objective: The tendency of misuse of methylphenidate (MPH) has been increasing in young individuals. The MPH abuse is especially higher among college students. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the frequency of misuse of MPH and knowledge level about this agent among resident physicians.
Method: Two hundred and twelve resident physicians working in Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Hospital were enrolled in our study. Of these, 176 (83%) physicians accepted to participate. Participants asked to complete a questionnaire and a sociodemographic data sheet designed by Department of Psychiatry. Twelve questions were asked to participants.
Results: Of the participants, 124 (70.5%) were men and 52 (29.5%) were women. Mean age was 29.25±3.04 (range: 24-44) years. Of the participants, 100 were resident physicians in internal medicine, whereas 57 in surgical specialties and 19 in basic sciences. It was found that 39 participants (22.2%) had previously used MPH without a medical indication. Of the participants who reported misuse of MPH, 19 participants indicated that they started using MPH by recommendation of their colleague, whereas 20 participants indicated that they started using MPH with their own decision. 28 participants (15.9%) cited that they used MPH during the preparation period of Medical Specialty Exam, while 11 participants (6.25%) cited that they used MPH in a period other than Medical Specialty Exam. No significant difference was detected between male (n=30; 24.2%) and female participants (n=9; %17.3) regarding the frequency of misuse of MPH.
Conclusion: This study shows that the frequency of misuse of MPH is higher among resident physicians. Multi-centered studies are needed to generalize this conclusion.