Alcoholism amongst male doctors in Scotland

Abstract

An investigation was carried out into first admissions to, and all discharges from Scottish psychiatric inpatient beds of male doctors and other social class I males who had a primary diagnosis of alcoholism. The rates were more than two-and-a-half times higher amongst doctors. Middle-aged doctors were particularly at risk, and 58% of all psychiatric hospitalisations of male doctors between the ages of 45 and 54 years were attributed to alcoholism.