Substance abuse by anesthesiology residents

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Substance Abuse Research
• Anesthesiology Training

Background:

• Substance abuse among medical residents is a persistent concern.
• Understanding the prevalence and impact of substance use in anesthesiology training is crucial for resident well-being and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of substance use (alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, unprescribed psychoactive drugs) among former anesthesiology residents.
• To investigate the incidence of problematic substance abuse during residency.
• To evaluate resident perceptions of institutional drug policies and observed substance use by faculty.

Main Methods:

• A 1989 cross-sectional survey was conducted among former anesthesiology residents (graduated within 30 years) from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
• A total of 183 responses were collected from 260 former residents, representing a 70.3% response rate.
• Survey questions covered personal substance use, self-admitted problematic abuse, perceptions of drug policies, and observations of faculty substance use.

Main Results:

• Over three-fourths (77.2%) of respondents reported alcohol use during residency; 20.0% used marijuana, and 15.7% used cocaine.
• 15.8% of respondents self-admitted problematic substance abusers during residency (23 alcohol-dependent, 6 drug-dependent).
• Over 85% found drug policy information inadequate, and 70% rated institutional policies as "fair-to-poor"; 35 residents observed faculty substance use impacting teaching.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of former anesthesiology residents reported substance use and problematic abuse during their training.
• Inadequate drug policies and observed faculty substance use suggest systemic issues within the training environment.
• Findings underscore the need for improved support systems, clear policies, and faculty accountability in medical residency programs.