title: The influence of medical student gender and drug use on the detection of addiction in patients.
abstract: Little is known about medical students' interest in their training on drug addiction, their personal experience of consumption, and whether these aspects influence the detection of addiction in patients. Eighty-eight and one half percent considered that drug dependence issues are important to their professional future. The students report consuming alcohol (69%), cigarettes (19.5%), and illegal drugs (15.8%). Female students consumed fewer illegal drugs than the men (p =.022). Male students consumed more illegal drugs more frequently (p =.005), knew more consumers (p =.023), and those who drink alcohol consumed more illegal drugs than women who drink alcohol (p <.005). Drug and alcohol consumption among medical students may serve to normalize consumption and thus, may prevent the detection of addicts. It is important to educate and raise awareness about drugs and alcohol use, as this may influence detection. The focus should be particularly on the male group.
authors.affiliation: a Outpatient Drug Clinic (CAS) Vall Hebron, Psychiatry Services Hospital , Universitario Vall Hebron-ASPB , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Cintas
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egido
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barral
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pazos
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collazos
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grau-López
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casas
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Medical students; addiction; drug dependence; education; gender