[Addiction to drugs and alcohol among physicians and nurses]

A retrospective investigation based on case reports was undertaken concerning abuse of alcohol and drugs among medical staff, 44 doctors and 23 nurses, who were treated in the Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet during the period 1970-1982, all of whom received treatment for more than six months. By the end of 1987, a marked excessive mortality was found and this was greatest among doctors among whom 50% had died with an average age of 45.5 years. Factors which were found to be of significance for the prognosis for duration of survival in this selected material were 1) duration of the abuse of medicine, 2) presence of mixed alcohol and drug abuse and 3) previous suicidal attempts.