Differential effects of healthcare worker burnout on psychotropic medication use and misuse by occupational level.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
; 59(4): 669-679, 2024 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37272959
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Burnout has been well examined among physicians and other high-wage, high-autonomy healthcare positions. However, lower-wage healthcare workers with less workplace autonomy (e.g., medical assistants, nurses' aides) represent a substantial proportion of the workforce, but remain understudied. We aimed to examine the effects of burnout on psychotropic medication use and misuse and whether these effects differed by occupational level.METHODS:
In March 2022, we collected data from a diverse sample of US healthcare workers (N = 200) and examined the cross-sectional relationship between burnout and changes in prescribed psychotropic medication (i.e., starting, stopping, and/or having a change in the dose/frequency) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also separately examined the relationship between burnout and psychotropic medication misuse (i.e., without a prescription, in greater amounts, more often, longer than prescribed, and/or for a reason other than prescribed). We stratified models by occupational level (prescribers/healthcare administrators vs. other healthcare workers).RESULTS:
Greater burnout was associated with higher odds of changes in prescribed psychotropic medication among prescribers/healthcare administrators (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.01, 1.48), but not among other healthcare workers (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.98, 1.10). Greater burnout was not associated with psychotropic medication misuse among prescribers/healthcare administrators (aOR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.82, 1.12) but was associated with increased odds of psychotropic medication misuse among other healthcare workers (aOR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01, 1.14).CONCLUSIONS:
Potential disparities in help-seeking and healthcare access might manifest in non-medical use of prescription drugs among some healthcare workers, which has implications for worker safety and well-being.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Esgotamento Profissional
/
Uso Indevido de Medicamentos sob Prescrição
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article