Family history of alcohol and drug use in healthcare professionals

Abstract

This study sought to ascertain if family histories of alcohol (FHPA) and drug problems (FHPD) are more prevalent among certain healthcare professions than others, and if an association between FHPA or FHPD and current alcohol and drug use exists. As part of a larger mail survey during the summer of 2002, 479 (response 68.7%) dentists, nurses, pharmacists and physicians from a north‐eastern US state completed self‐report items on FHPA, FHPD, monthly alcohol and past‐year drug use. Nurses reported a higher prevalence of FHPA than other groups of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Contrary to our prediction, FHPA in nursing was not associated with drinking level. Nurses also reported significantly higher FHPD than dentists and physicians, but not pharmacists. FHPD was significantly associated with past‐year drug use among physicians. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess quantitatively FHPA and FHPD across multiple groups of HCPs. The results of this study suggest that FHPA and FHPD differ across groups of HCPs and a significant number choose nursing as a profession. To delineate the association between nursing and family history of substance use, more research into the familial dynamics/individual differences among these individuals is necessary.