Alcohol use and abuse in random samples of physicians and medical students.

Abstract

BACKGROUND. This study sought to resolve conflicting views about whether physicians are especially prone to alcohol abuse. METHODS. Using an anonymous, mailed questionnaire on substance use, we surveyed 500 physicians, 510 pharmacists, and 974 of their students. The physicians and pharmacists were selected randomly from the state society's membership lists, and students selected were from local school lists. Follow-up surveys were sent to nonresponders at two-week intervals. RESULTS. The physicians and medical students did not drink especially heavily and were no more vulnerable to alcoholism than were their counterparts in pharmacy and other professions. Physicians differed from pharmacists in their style of drinking (greater frequency, smaller quantity), but not in total amount of alcohol consumed. Drinking habits among physicians were not associated with medical specialty or type of practice, but were positively related to gender (males drank more than females) and to age (older doctors were more apt to qualify as heavy drinkers than were younger doctors). CONCLUSIONS. Physicians were no more likely to abuse substances nonmedically than were other professionals. Any group in which alcohol use is nearly universal incurs a risk of abuse and impairment that cannot be ignored.

Anxiety, depression, health attitudes and coping strategies in doctors and teachers in a Cape Town setting

“…When we compared our results with those of other studies investigating substance use in different populations of doctors, 19,20 we found the extremely low reported rate of alcohol abuse both surprising and rather difficult to accept. aim to modify the medical culture which pressurises doctors into believing that they should never be sick, or at least that they should never complain or seek help.…”

Consumo de tabaco y alcohol entre los estudiantes de medicina de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

“…Las escuelas de medicina no están ajenas a este fenómeno, existiendo numerosa bibliografía internacional que da cuenta de consumos de magnitud variable, generalmente alto [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] . En el caso del alcohol, se han descrito al estrés y las presiones académicas, elementos propios de la carrera de medicina, como factores que esgrimen los estudiantes para consumirlo 9,11,13,19 .…”

“…y el Reino Unido. El consumo de alcohol entre sus estudiantes de medicina es mayor, oscilando entre 86% y 95% [16][17][18][19][20] , y su intensidad de consumo en un día habitual también es superior 16,17,19 . Elementos culturales y religiosos pueden explicar esta diferencia entre países 9 , por lo que no nos deben conformar comparaciones favorables frente a paí-ses anglosajones.…”

“…En cuanto a consumo y etapa de la carrera, estudios extranjeros similares muestran que mientras más avanzado en la carrera médica, mayor es el consumo de alcohol 19,20 , lo cual es concordante con lo visto en nuestro estudio. Esta tendencia no guarda relación con estrés o depresión, hecho registrado en variados estudios internacionales y también en el nuestro, a través de la ausencia de relación con GHQ-12 positivo.…”

“…Esta tendencia no guarda relación con estrés o depresión, hecho registrado en variados estudios internacionales y también en el nuestro, a través de la ausencia de relación con GHQ-12 positivo. Sin duda el aumento con la edad es una luz de alerta a favor de la importancia en la prevención de consumo de alcohol a todo nivel en el equipo de salud ya que, según estudios internacionales, el problema entre los médicos puede ser aún mayor 11,16,20 .…”