ArticleOccupational medicine (Oxford, England)2023
The association between self-treatment and mental health among Swedish physicians.
Article in Occupational medicine (Oxford, England), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Behind the Mask: Risk Profiles of Depression and Anxiety in Anesthesiology Residents.Depression and anxiety · 2026Article
- Mental health self-medication in psychiatry residents: from providing to seeking mental health care.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Associations between job demand-control-support and high burnout risk among physicians in Sweden: a cross-sectional study.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2024Article
- Mistakes are not an option: aggression from peers and other correlates of anxiety and depression in pediatricians in training.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDespite a high prevalence of mental health problems among physicians, the rate of help-seeking behaviour is low. Instead, physicians tend to self-treat. This can have a negative impact on individual physicians and society.
aimsThe aim was to explore the relationship between self-rated depression, the use of psychotropic medication, and the extent of self-treatment across gender and hierarchical position among Swedish physicians. In addition, the aim was to investigate whether social support can buffer against self-treatment.
methodsThis study draws on data from the Longitudinal Occupational Health for Health Care in Sweden 2021 study, comprising a representative sample of physicians. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were carried out.
resultsThe present study showed that approximately 60% of the physicians using narcotic or non-narcotic psychotropic medication were self-prescribing. Male and more senior physicians self-treated to a greater extent. Physicians without depression were self-treating to a greater extent than those with depression. Those who used non-narcotic psychotropic medication intermittently were more likely to self-treat than those who used these medications regularly. The frequency of use was insignificant in relation to self-treatment with narcotic psychotropic medication. No buffering effect from social support at work was found.
conclusionsSelf-treatment was common among physicians in Sweden, particularly among those who reported mild or no symptoms of depression. This may have negative long-term effects on an individual level and for Swedish health care at large.
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Registered trials
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