A Comparison of Male and Female Physicians Treated for Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

The authors compared physicians admitted for psychiatric or substance use disorders on demographic, clinical, and gender variables. The records of 92 physicians admitted to a private psychiatric hospital over a 6‐year period were reviewed to compare characteristics of those admitted for psychiatric disorders with those admitted for substance abuse problems, and to compare female and male physician‐patients. Of physicians who presented for substance abuse treatment, 58% had an additional Axis I psychiatric disorder, whereas 22% of physicians admitted for psychiatric treatment had substance use disorder; 59% of this sample of physicians received a personality disorder diagnosis. “Dual disorder” is a common clinical presentation in physicians. Male ( n = 76) and female ( n = 16) physicians were similar on compared variables except that they showed differing patterns of substance abuse. Compared with previous studies of treated physicians, the percentage of female physicians and the overall percentage of physicians with substance abuse diagnoses are increasing.