Psychiatric Comorbidity and Physicians with Substance Use Disorders: a Comparison Between the 1980s and 1990s

The assessment and treatment of physicians with substance use disorders has been of considerable interest over the past twenty years. This study compares two cohorts of addicted physicians treated at a single program. Data from 101 physicians treated during 1985 to 1987 were compared with 73 physicians treated from 1995 to 1997. Although the cohorts were similar on demographic, physician specialty, and drug of choice variables, psychiatric comorbidity was significantly more prevalent in the later sample.