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Psychoactive drug consumption: performance‐enhancing behaviour and pharmacodependence in workers
Author(s) -
NgoundoMbongue T. B.,
Niezborala M.,
Sulem P.,
BriantVincens D.,
Bancarel Y.,
Jansou P.,
Chastan E.,
Montastruc J. L.,
LapeyreMestre M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.1006
Subject(s) - medicine , psychoactive drug , confidence interval , odds ratio , psychiatry , cohort , drug
Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated to psychoactive medication use and dependence in working environment during a 1‐year period. Methods We performed a 1‐year‐follow‐up cohort study including workers from Toulouse metropolitan area. During their annual compulsory examination to assess their aptitude to work, subjects were asked to fill in an anonymous questionnaire at 1 year interval, in May 2000 and May–June 2001. Results Among a study sample of 1273 subjects (47.4% of men, mean age 39.2 ± 9.2 years), the prevalence of psychoactive medication use at baseline was 9.1% (4.3% anxiolytic, 1.9% hypnotic, 1.7% antidepressant, 2.1% opiate analgesic and 0.5% antipsychotic drugs, according to ATC classification). Dependence on these drugs was found in 3.5% of workers. This consumption was associated with professional categories (higher in employees versus senior executive, Odds Ratio: 1.80; 95% Confidence Interval [1.04–3.11]), low job satisfaction and outside workplace (1.92; [1.30–2.84] and 3.40; [2.27–5.09] respectively), and patterns of medication use at workplace: for sleeping disorders related to job (18.27; [11.81–28.26]), for enhancing performance at work (28.13; [12.00–65.92]), for relieving unpleasant symptoms at work (22.98; [9.59–55.01]). The risk of psychoactive medication chronic use (psychoactive drug users in 2000 and 2001), and dependence at 1 year were both strongly associated with nicotine dependence (5.99 and 6.23, respectively) and performance‐enhancing behaviour with drugs and/or alcohol (8.35 and 3.32 respectively), whereas current use (psychoactive drug users only in 2001) was strongly associated with performance‐enhancing behaviour. Conclusions Among workers using psychoactive drugs, one out of three are dependent on psychoactive medications. Performance‐enhancing behaviour and coping strategies might be a determinant of psychoactive drug use and could lead to dependence in the workplace. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.