Citation

Allgulander C, Evanoff B. J. Psychoactive Drugs 1990; 22(4): 467-478.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Haight-Ashbury Publications in association with the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic)

DOI

10.1080/02791072.1990.10472221

PMID

2096191

Abstract

FINDINGS of formal and subjective mental health problems among Swedish employees are presented as well as reviews of current Swedish policies on substance abuse and drug screening in the workplace. The focus is on the potential violation of medical confidentiality for employees with legitimate psychoactive drug medications and the lack of evidence linking the detection of various substances with impaired work performance. Data are drawn from a study of a sample of working Swedes, which revealed that approximately 3% reported taking psychoactive medications regularly. This was correlated with increases in long-term sick leave, periods of unemployment, and frequent job changes by both sexes. These workers also scored high for neuroticism, and had high rates of inpatient psychiatric treatment and suicide. With these high rates of formal mental health problems among employees who self-medicate with psychoactive drugs, discriminatory personnel management, including drug screening, jeopardizes confidentiality of treatment and civil rights.

Language: en

Keywords

Environment; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Prospective Studies; Psychotropic Drugs; Substance Abuse Detection; Substance-Related Disorders; Sweden; Twins; Work