Drinking alcohol as a way of coping with stress in students of medical faculties

The relationship between stress coping style and motivation to alcohol consumption was studied in the context of alcohol dependence risk in medical students.

Study group included 268 med students. Authors used the Alcohol Use Dependency Identification Test (AUDIT), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) as well as self-designed questionnaire to collect demographic data and examine motivation and usual situations related to alcohol consumption in students.

94% of students reported alcohol consumption during past year. Risky or harmful alcohol use was found in 16% of med students and 22% of dentistry students, high risk of alcohol dependency was diagnosed in 2% of cases. More than 50% of students reported drinking for coping motives. Data on coping styles do not show statistically significant differences in terms of the main stress coping style: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented. Medicine students used avoidance-oriented coping (social diversion subtype) more often than dentistry students. There was no correlation between stress coping styles, drinking motives and alcohol dependence risk in the studied group.

Lack of correlations may indicate that the studied group used coping strategies other than alcohol drinking. It is essential to create environment for medical students, that would enhance healthy stress coping strategies and promote early prevention.