Risky alcohol use in Danish physicians: Associated with alexithymia and burnout?. (1st March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pedersen, Anette Fischer; Sørensen, Johanne Korsdal; Bruun, Niels Henrik; Christensen, Bo; Vedsted, Peter
• Is Part Of: Drug and alcohol dependence. Volume 160(2016)
• Page Start: 119
• Page End: 126
• Publication Date: 2016-03-01
• Subjects: Alcohol use disorder -- Alexithymia -- Burnout -- Physicians -- Survey; Drug abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.12.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-8716

Abstract

Highlights: Alexithymia were associated with increased likelihood of risky alcohol consumption. Burnout was associated with increased likelihood of risky alcohol consumption. The association between alexithymia and alcohol use was partially mediated by "depersonalization". Physicians and students might benefit from enhanced focus on emotional self-awareness. Abstract: Background: Alcohol abuse may be elicited by psychological problems and can influence physicians' health and patient safety. To act on it, we need knowledge on the prevalence of the disorder and its associations with psychological factors and physicians' well-being. The aim of this study was to explore whether burnout and alexithymia are associated with risky alcohol consumption in physicians and whether burnout mediates the association between alexithymia and risky alcohol consumption. Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 4, 000 randomly selected physicians received an electronic questionnaire by email containing the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human-Services-Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). A total of 1, 841 physicians completed the questionnaire (46%). Results : 18.8% reached the criteria for risky alcohol consumption. The likelihood of having risky alcohol consumption was associated with high levels of alexithymia (OR = 1.93, 95%CI = 1.37–2.74, P < 0.001). Moreover, risky alcohol consumption was associated with burnout (OR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.13–3.05, P < 0.014) and each individual burnout dimension: emotional exhaustion (OR = 1.89, 95%CI = 1.33–2.69, P < 0.001), depersonalisation (OR = 2.23, 95%CI = 1.53–3.25, P < 0.001) and low levels of personal accomplishment (OR = 1.66, 95%CI = 1.14–2.41, P = 0.008). Mediation analysis suggested that the association between alexithymia and risky alcohol consumption was partially mediated through depersonalisation. Conclusions: The results emphasize a need for enhancing emotional self-awareness in physicians as psychological traits, work-pressure and alcohol dependence might be self-reinforcing aspects for the individual physician. As alcohol dependence and burnout may have consequences for patient safety separately, the aggregated influence of these factors has to be examined.