ON THE ROCKS –
April 16, 2026 – When it comes to American physicians, a study found that 13% of male physicians and 21 % of female physicians would meet the criteria for alcohol misuse. Alcohol misuse by health care providers is associated with poorer work performance and worse patient outcomes, raising the stakes not only for the ones with alcohol dependency but the people they’re caring for. And for health care workers, the pandemic could still be having a lingering effect on the high rates of alcohol use. The deep trauma of those years persists, medical work remains very stressful, and using some kind of substance to cope with those difficult feelings can be tempting.
We have come a long way in recognizing alcohol and substance abuse as not a moral failing but as a combination of physiological, dependent, and life circumstances. But these “high status” workers can present unique challenges as we strive to make further progress. Persistent beliefs about who is (and isn’t) affected by addiction means their risky drinking may not be obvious. They may not be as receptive to interventions. If they seek treatment and then attempt to return to their work, they may be stigmatized by their coworkers or, in the case of doctors, lose their patients’ trust.
