Socio-demographic and clinical-psychological predictors of smoking and alcohol abuse in health workers

Psychoemotional disorders caused by professional stress make a significant contribution to substance abuse by health workers, which requires studying specific predictors of the formation of addictive behavior and developing targeted prevention programs. Aim . To study the socio-demographic and clinical-psychological predictors of smoking and alcohol abuse among health workers using the factor analysis method and taking into account gender differences. Materials and methods . The sample consisted of 575 health workers (86.3% women), the average age was 42.7 ± 10.2 year. The structure of the factor analysis included socio-demographic data, parameters of clinical and psychological risk factors for addictive behavior (ASSIST test), indicators of the psychoemotional state (K10 and IES-R scales). Results . Factor models were developed taking into account gender and the level of risk of substance use. Two risk groups for the use of nicotine-containing products (absence and low risk; moderate risk) and two risk groups for alcohol use (absence and low risk; moderate and high risk) were identified. The greatest contribution to the increase in the risk of abuse of nicotinecontaining products and alcohol for all groups was made by the factor of post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological distress, except for the group of male health workers who consumed alcohol with moderate or high risk. In the groups of health workers who consumed alcohol with moderate or high risk, regardless of gender, signs of anosognosia in relation to harmful alcohol consumption were observed. Conclusion . The obtained results emphasize the importance of complex psychological and psychotherapeutic work with health workers who have specific socio-demographic, clinicalpsychological and psychoemotional predictors of substance abuse.