Motives for the non-prescribed use of psychiatric medications: Relationships with psychopathology, other substance use and patterns of use

Objectives: Psychiatric medications are commonly used without a valid prescription for therapeutic and non-therapeutic reasons. This study aimed to examine the associated features of therapeutic and non-therapeutic motives for use among non-prescribed users of anxiolytic, sedative and stimulant medications recruited from the community. Method: Participants (n=72) completed face-to-face interviews and questionnaires assessing medication use and misuse, other substance use and non-substance-related psychopathology. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine factors relating to primary motives for use. Results: Non-therapeutic motives for use of anxiolytics, sedatives and stimulants were associated with a more extensive history of other substance use, as compared to therapeutic motives. Men were more likely than women to report using anxiolytics and sedatives for non-therapeutic motives. No symptoms of psychopathology, including anxiety disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, were related to motives for non-prescribed medication use. Although patterns of use tended to correspond with self-reported motives, in some cases, users reported therapeutic motives while describing high-risk patterns of use. Conclusion: These results demonstrate important heterogeneity within non-prescribed medication users that a unitary conceptualization fails to adequately capture.