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Assessment of risky drinking, harmful drinking and alcohol addiction among lawyers

Katarzyna S. Chrobak-Kasprzyk1, Jadwiga Jośko-Ochojska2

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
Psychiatr Psychol Klin 2020, 20 (4), p. 259–266
DOI: 10.15557/PiPK.2020.0032
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Streszczenie

Background: Not much is known about alcohol dependence, risky or harmful drinking among Polish lawyers. Studies conducted around the world have so far shown that this professional group is at a greater risk of alcohol addiction than the total population or other professional groups. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the model of alcohol consumption among lawyers, as well as the factors influencing this phenomenon. Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 206 lawyers, including 102 women and 104 men, aged between 29 and 84 years. The AUDIT test, developed by World Health Organization, was used. Results: In the study group of lawyers, 22.33% drink in a risky and harmful manner, including nearly 3% whose score suggests alcohol addiction. It was shown that the sex criterion differentiated the alcohol consumption model among lawyers, with statistically significant higher average values obtained for men (p = 0.002). The study showed that the drinking model is influenced both by the marital status of respondents and whether they have children or not (p = 0.000033). There was no influence of weekly working hours on the alcohol use pattern (p = 0.169, r = 0.10). An analysis using the Pearson’s r correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant relationship (p = 0.021) between age and AUDIT score. This was a low-strength negative correlation (r = −0.16), i.e. AUDIT scores decreased with the age of respondents. Conclusions: This study is the first medical assessment of the prevalence of alcohol use among Polish lawyers. Lawyers are a professional group reluctant to undergo evaluation, who are at a high risk of problematic alcohol use. The study shows that there is a need for in-depth diagnosis of alcohol addiction and development of educational, preventive and therapeutic programs that take into account the specificity of the work of lawyers.

Słowa kluczowe
harmful drinking, risky drinking, lawyers, addictions, alcohol, AUDIT