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Resident physician substance use, by specialty.
P H Hughes1, D C Baldwin, D V Sheehan
1Institute for Research in Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|October 11, 1992
Summary
Physician specialty impacts substance use. Emergency medicine and psychiatry residents report higher rates of drug use, while pediatrics and pathology residents report the lowest. Patterns vary significantly by medical specialty.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Public Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Physician substance use is a concern, with prior research suggesting lower rates among residents compared to the general population.
- Understanding specialty-specific patterns is crucial for targeted interventions and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence and patterns of substance use across 11 different medical specialties among resident physicians.
- To identify specific medical specialties with higher or lower rates of substance use.
Main Methods:
- A national sample of 1,754 U.S. resident physicians was surveyed.
- Prevalence of substance use was estimated for 11 distinct medical specialties.
Main Results:
- Emergency medicine and psychiatry residents exhibited higher substance use rates compared to other specialties.
- Specific substances like cocaine, marijuana, and benzodiazepines showed higher prevalence in emergency medicine and psychiatry.
- Anesthesiology residents did not show elevated substance use, contrary to some concerns. Pediatric and pathology residents reported the lowest substance use.
Conclusions:
- Substance use patterns among resident physicians differ significantly by medical specialty.
- Certain specialties are associated with increased likelihood of using specific drug classes, multiple drug classes, and daily use of alcohol or cigarettes.
- Despite specialty variations, overall resident substance use remains lower than their non-physician age peers.