Completed [AUS] Anonymous online survey for ecstasy and other stimulant drug users

[JodieGrigg]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jodie Grigg and I'm studying at Edith Cowan University in Perth, WA. I'm looking to recruit people for a study that is investigating some beliefs about the effects of ecstasy and other psychostimulant drugs. I'm particularly interested in looking at the association between psychostimulant drug use and weight control.

If you have used a stimulant drug like ecstasy, speed, ice, cocaine, or dexamphetamine more than once in your life, and if you're aged between 18-30 and live in Australia, you are invited to participate. The survey should take between 10-20 minutes to complete, is 100% anonymous, and is very easy to complete.

The study begins on the 1st of July and will end on the 30th of July.

Please follow the link below if you are interested in participating:

https://ecuau.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2ai2oLXCEFQDTFy

I can also be contacted at [email protected] or via the Bluelight private messaging system.

Hope you can participate!

Jodie

 

[Tronica]

Thanks for posting this. Sorry it slipped through without a response. I see you are still collecting data through the survey. Have you had success in recruiting? Also I wondered whether the responses are restricted to Australians or are you interested in international respondents?

 

[JodieGrigg]

Thanks for the response. While international responses would have also been interesting, I was only recruiting an Australian sample for this study. I did have success in recruiting a few hundred participants, i advertised the survey in various different forums. Recruitment has now closed, however i did extend it a little beyond the allocated time frame within the thread. I am now in the writing up phase. Thank you for your support of the study.

 

[Tronica]

Good to know you received enough responses - let us know how your results go!

 

[Tronica]

Jodie did complete her Honours thesis and went on to do a PhD (she is now Dr Jodie!). However the work she did for her honours wasn't published. She has provided the following abstract of what she found. Thanks for sharing this, Jodie!

Ecstasy and Other Illicit Psychostimulant Drug Use Among Young Australians:

A New Method of Weight Control?

Abstract

Ecstasy has proven locomotor stimulant and appetite suppression effects that could appeal to users as a means of weight control. The present study aimed to investigate whether ecstasy is being used as a means of weight control by looking at beliefs of users. It was anticipated that gender would influence beliefs regarding the increased energy expenditure and appetite suppression effects of ecstasy. As an adjunct, the study also investigated reward sensitivity as link between ecstasy use and unhealthy weight control. The sample consisted of 237 participants recruited via online social media. A final sample of 170 valid entries was used. Participants were assessed on demographics, psychostimulant drug use history, beliefs around the anorectic and stimulant effects of psychostimulant drugs, and the 24-item sensitivity to reward subscale, from The Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire. Chi-square analyses revealed that the odds of females’ believing statements were significantly higher than males. Frequency analysis indicated that more than half (54.6%) of the female sample believed that weight loss effects of ecstasy reinforced continued use. Furthermore, more than one third (36.3%) believed that they had deliberately used ecstasy to experience the weight loss effects. The results lent some support to establishing reward sensitivity as link between comorbid ecstasy use and unhealthy weight control. Overall, the findings suggest that the weight loss effects of ecstasy may act as a motivating factor for a significant proportion of female users. Moreover, a minority may be using ecstasy as a deliberate means of weight control.