35th AM (2024) - Poster Session-The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physician Psychiatric Distress and Alcohol Use

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physician Psychiatric Distress and Alcohol Use

Pdf Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has notably affected the physical and mental health of the U.S. population, with a particular impact on physicians, who faced heightened stress, burnout, and shifts in substance use. Factors like job dissatisfaction and long working hours pushed some physicians towards alcohol use as a coping mechanism during the pandemic. This study focused on whether the pandemic exacerbated alcohol use among physicians and examined its correlation with depression and specialties.<br /><br />At a large academic medical center in NYC, surveys were conducted from September 2020 to December 2020, extending over 24 months with follow-ups every three months. Participants included physicians at varying levels of training. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, burnout, and alcohol use patterns were evaluated using validated metrics like PHQ-9 for depression and AUDIT-C for alcohol use. <br /><br />Initial findings from the 740 respondents (61% women) revealed significant trends. Higher PHQ-9 scores for depression predicted higher AUDIT-C scores for problematic alcohol use throughout the study. Physicians in frontline specialties, such as critical care and emergency medicine, were at a greater risk of problematic alcohol use than their counterparts from non-frontline specialties.<br /><br />Conclusions suggested that regardless of training level, physicians reported significant AUDIT-C scores linked with depression and frontline work. However, problematic drinking showed a decline by the six-month follow-up. This implies that physicians are susceptible to pandemic stress and may benefit from targeted treatment options to address substance use and mental health issues. These findings underline the need for systemic support to help physicians manage stress and reduce reliance on alcohol as a coping strategy during periods of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic

physician mental health

substance use

alcohol use

depression

burnout

frontline specialties

academic medical center

PHQ-9

AUDIT-C

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