The Association between Work- and Trauma-Related Factors and Risky Alcohol Use among Health Care Providers: A Systematic Review

Background About 65 million health care providers worldwide are exposed to trauma. Work-related trauma exposure is associated with risky alcohol use, which is correlated with health burdens and productivity impairments among health care providers. Hence, it is important to highlight the association between work-related trauma exposure factors and risky alcohol use among health care providers. Objective In this systematic review, we examined the relationship between work-related factors, trauma exposure, and risky alcohol use among health care providers. Methods We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, PsychINFO, and Google Scholar databases including studies published in English up to February 2024. Results Of 15 retrieved studies, researchers examined the association between work-related factors and risky alcohol use among health care providers in 10 studies. Increased burnout (work stress) was significantly associated with increased risky alcohol use among health care providers. However, there were differences between nurses/midwives and physicians in the relationship of risky alcohol use with work schedules (e.g., night shifts and hours worked). In the remaining five studies, trauma exposure increased risky alcohol use among health care providers. Conclusions Evidence suggests that work-related factors and trauma exposure are significantly associated with risky alcohol use among health care providers. However, the extent of the association varies among health care provider specialties. Thus, it is necessary in the future to evaluate the association between work- and trauma-related factors and risky alcohol use among each specialty of health care providers, especially nursing, which represents the largest number of employees in the health sector.