Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: Research regarding the health and wellness of medical students has led to ongoing concerns regarding patterns of alcohol and drug use that take place during medical education. Such research, however, is typically limited to single-institution studies or has been conducted over 25 years ago.Objective: The objective of the investigation was to assess the prevalence and consequences of medical student alcohol and drug use and students’ perceptions of their medical school’s substance-use policies.Design: A total of 855 medical students representing 49 medical colleges throughout the United States participated in an online survey between December 2015 and March 2016.Results: Data showed that 91.3% and 26.2% of medical students consumed alcohol and used marijuana respectively in the past year, and 33.8% of medical students consumed five or more drinks in one sitting in the past two weeks. Differences in use emerged regarding demographic characteristics of students. Consequences of alcohol and drug use in this sample of medical students included but were not limited to interpersonal altercations, serious suicidal ideation, cognitive deficits, compromised academic performance, and driving under the influence of substances. Forty percent of medical students reported being unaware of their medical institution’s substance-use policies.Conclusions: Findings suggest that substance use among medical students in the US is ongoing and associated with consequences in various domains. There is a lack of familiarity regarding school substance-use policies. Although there has been some progress in characterizing medical student alcohol use, less is known about the factors surrounding medical students’ use of other substances. Updated, comprehensive studies on the patterns of medical student substance use are needed if we are to make the necessary changes needed to effectively prevent substance-use disorders among medical students and support those who are in need of help.
Highlights
Substance use is a major public health issue affecting the health and well-being of millions of Americans [1]
Studies assessing the prevalence of increased substance use among medical students in the United States (US) suggest that as many as 58% of medical students may binge drink monthly [4], one in three medical students have used illicit drugs in the past year [5], use typically begins during high school or college [6], and that alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly misused substances [5]
Co-occurrence of marijuana and tobacco use was infrequent with 7.6% and 2.7% of medical students reporting the use of both substances in the past year and month, respectively
Summary
Substance use is a major public health issue affecting the health and well-being of millions of Americans [1]. Studies assessing the prevalence of increased substance use among medical students in the United States (US) suggest that as many as 58% of medical students may binge drink monthly [4], one in three medical students have used illicit drugs in the past year [5], use typically begins during high school or college [6], and that alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly misused substances [5]. Identifying the rates and risks of substance use and the social patterns that promote or inhibit use during medical education is an increasingly important task. To address this gap, the purpose of our investigation was to (1) assess the prevalence of medical student alcohol and drug use; (2) determine the self-reported consequences of medical student substance use; and (3) assess perceptions of medical school substance-use policies. Comprehensive studies on the patterns of medical student substance use are needed if we are to make the necessary changes needed to effectively prevent substance-use disorders among medical students and support those who are in need of help
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