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Interpersonal versus technological orientations and alcohol abuse in future physicians
Author(s) -
RICHMAN JUDITH A.,
PYSKOTY CHARLENE E.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1991.tb01881.x
Subject(s) - salience (neuroscience) , interpersonal communication , psychology , specialty , clinical psychology , distress , assertiveness , longitudinal study , alcohol abuse , personality , medical school , cohort , interpersonal relationship , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , medical education , pathology , cognitive psychology
Etiologic research on alcohol‐related impairment in physicians has elucidated various risk factors including family history of alcoholism, symptomatic distress, personality deficits, and high academic achievement. This study of medical students points to the additional salience of future practice orientations involving technological/status versus interpersonal concerns. A cohort of students was surveyed at medical school entrance and again in the second training year. Alcohol abusers (particularly medical school onset cases) manifested significantly higher technological/status and lower interpersonal concerns compared to non‐abusers. Differences across future specialty choices were also found. However, additional longitudinal research is necessary to clarify the causal directionality of these relationships.