Drunk and high on the job: Stressed-out docs are 'struggling the most,' says new report

An alarming number of American doctors are consuming alcohol or drugs on the job, according to a recent report by All Points North, a Colorado-based mental healthcare company. Based on interviews with 1,000 healthcare workers across the country, researchers found about 15% of physicians consumed alcohol or controlled substances at work. More than 15% said they did this at least once a day and just over 20% admitted they consumed alcohol or drugs multiple times per day. “It’s no surprise healthcare workers are suffering from burnout, but . . . physicians are struggling the most,” said the report, which also noted that close to 20% of doctors The report also revealed that 40% of healthcare workers dreaded going to work or felt anxious about, and nearly half said they’re either at their breaking point or looking for new work due to the stress and trauma on the job. Read: 'Obsession with efficiency': More than half of docs suffering burnout symptoms: CMA survey Close to 65% also said the overturning of Roe vs. Wade increased their stress levels or made them feel betrayed by their country. “The pandemic has dramatically impacted the well-being and mental health of healthcare workers in the U.S.; many healthcare professionals are witnessing more suffering and death than ever before,” Noah Nordheimer, founder and CEO of All Points North, wrote in the report. “The frequency and intensity of this exposure are causing an unprecedented amount of trauma and stress, leading to high levels of burnout.” While 20% of respondents said they have checked into a rehab or detox facility in the last three months, close to 15% have not addressed their mental health struggles, said the report. More than 30% said they’re too overworked and don’t have time to seek help, close to 25% are worried colleagues and family will judge them, and a similar percentage said they’re afraid of getting their licence revoked. Watch: Video: 4 ways to take time off as a physician About 20% said they don’t know where to even start asking for help and think the system is broken or too hard to navigate. The report found more men than women were struggling with mental health problems, with close to 60% of male healthcare workers admitting they were “at their breaking point or pushed to look for new work because of on-the-job stress or trauma,” compared to 45% of female healthcare workers. Male healthcare workers were also 5 times more likely to use their position in healthcare to acquire controlled substances, with 21% of men doing so compared to 4% of women. Similar figures were reported when it came to male workers’ on-the-job consumption of alcohol and drugs, compared to female workers. Read: Report from Burnoutville: To quit or not to quit? More men than women also drank or took drugs up to 12 hours before a shift, with close to 45% of male healthcare workers and 17% of female workers admitting they consumed alcohol or controlled substances within 12 hours prior to starting work. When it comes to getting help, men were also more likely to be resistant to address their mental health problems than their female counterparts, the report found. “There’s still a very real stigma around men asking for help when it comes to their mental well-being,” wrote Nordheimer. Read: Was there burnout in the olden days?

Drunk and high on the job: Stressed-out docs are 'struggling the most,' says new report

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