Factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors

January 01, 0001

Factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors

Them aim of this study by researchers from Australia was to identify factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors. It consisted of a cross-sectional postal survey of 2999 doctors (including all major specialty groups, trainees and general practitioners) insured with an Australian medical insurance company. The potential for psychiatric morbidity was measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the potential for hazardous alcohol use by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The survey was conducted in 2007.

Factors significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity in doctors were: having a current medicolegal matter, not taking a holiday in the previous year, working long hours, type of specialty, and having personality traits of neuroticism and introversion. Factors significantly associated with potentially hazardous alcohol use were being male, being Australian- trained, being between 40 and 49 years of age, having personality traits of neuroticism and extroversion, failing to meet Continuing Medical Education requirements, and being a solo practitioner.

The researchers concluded: "The mental health of medical practitioners is crucial to the quality of care their patients receive. Doctors should reflect on their hours of work and need for holidays. Involvement with medicolegal processes, such as lawsuits, complaints and inquiries, is a stressful part of medical practice today. Doctors need to be educated about these processes and understand how the experience may affect their health, work and loved ones."

For the full abstract, click here.

MJA 193(3):161-166, 2 August 2010 © The Medical Journal of Australia 2010
Factors associated with psychiatric morbidity and hazardous alcohol use in Australian doctors. Louise M Nash, Michele G Daly, Patrick J Kelly, Elizabeth H van Ekert, Garry Walter, Merrilyn Walton, Simon M Willcock and Chris C Tennant.

Category: HSR. Health Services Research. Keywords: psychiatric morbidity, alcohol use, hazardous, doctors, cross-sectional postal survey, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia. Posted on Global Family Doctor 1October 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.