Alcohol and drug use in second-year medical students at the University of Leeds.
OBJECTIVE
In view of recent media attention concerning the high level of alcohol and drug use reported in a group of newly qualified junior doctors, the aim of the present study was to assess the alcohol and drug habits of a group of current medical students.


METHODS
Information about alcohol and illicit drug use was obtained from 136 second-year medical students (46 men, 90 women) at the University of Leeds by means of a personally administered questionnaire. Levels of anxiety and depression were also assessed.


RESULTS
86% of the students drank alcohol and among those who drank, a high proportion (52.6% of the men and 50.6% of the women), exceeded the recommended weekly limit of alcohol consumption of 21 units for men and 14 units women per week). Illicit drug use was reported by 33.1% of students (28.3% of men, 35.6% of women). The drug most commonly used was cannabis. According to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, 41.2% of the students (37% of men, 43.3% of women) had anxiety ratings within the clinically significant range (HAD scale> 8); 9.5% of students demonstrated clinically significant levels of depression (HAD scale> 8). However, these high levels of anxiety and depression did not correlate with high levels of alcohol consumption or drug use.
Pickard
M
M
Fourth-year medical students, The Medical School, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Bates
L
L
Dorian
M
M
Greig
H
H
Saint
D
D
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000639:trends; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*