Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between risky alcohol use, burnout, and suicide in physicians.

Methods: An online questionnaire (SurveyMonkey®) including the Sociodemographic Data Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Addiction Profile Index Risk Screening (APIRS), and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) was created.

Results: Two hundred eighty-five physicians took the survey. It was determined that 49 of the physicians (17.2%) were high-risk alcohol users. SPS scores of residents (p=0.014), physicians without children (p=0.019), physicians with a history of suicide attempt (p=0.034) and psychiatric treatment (p=0.001) were found to be significantly higher. Suicide probability scores were weakly correlated with APIRSalcohol scores (rho: 0.138, p=0.02) and highly correlated with burnout scores (r=0.718, p=0.001).

Conclusion: Structural and organizational measures should be taken to decrease burnout in physicians, and preventive public health services should be increased to reduce alcohol use in physicians.