• Maria Karampouga, Maria Karagianni, Stiliana Mihaylova, Aysegul Esen Aydin, Niina Salokorpi, Xanthoula Lambrianou, Eleni Tsianaka, Insa K Janssen, DuranSilvia HernandezSHKlinik für Neurochirurgie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany., Daniela Luminita Ivan, Ana Rodríguez-Hernandez, Marike Ld Broekman, Nurperi Gazioglu, Anastasia Tasiou, and Mary Murphy.
• Department of Neurological Surgery, Center for Cranial Base Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus. Electronic address: karampouga.maria@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 Oct 1; 190: e413e423e413-e423.

BackgroundNeurosurgeons may resort to caffeine, alcohol, and various drugs to maintain peak performance as they grapple with work demands and escalated stress. The prevalence of this controversial strategy remains largely unexplored.MethodsAn anonymous survey of 23 questions formulated by our research group was distributed through personal contacts and neurosurgical societies. Inquiries revolved around the use of medications and other substances for job-related reasons. Data were analyzed via regression and descriptive statistics in python.ResultsIn total, 215 neurosurgeons (43 residents) were included, with 213 disclosing their gender (94 females). Out of all, 9.3% were <30, 38.1% were 30-39, 44.6% were 40-59, and 7.9% were >60 years old. Most (70.7%) practiced in Europe, 18.6% in Asia, 6.5% in North and South America, and the rest in Africa or Australia. While 132 participants stated they consume caffeine to manage challenging schedules, drugs for cognitive and mood enhancement were utilized by 18 and 35 respectively. Alcohol was employed for stress relief by 28 with 4 reporting as heavy drinkers. Drugs posed a solution to sleep disorders for 82, and helped 8 others in strengthening their hand dexterity. Notably, 12 of those claiming drug use initiated it in medical school. Exercise, self-care activities, and relational support were the main alternatives sought. Ultimately, most responders recommended extending mental health assistance and raising awareness about drug use.ConclusionsReflecting on our results on job-associated drug use by neurosurgeons, we propose the judicious use of pharmacological or nonpharmacological adjuncts, alongside the prioritization of neurosurgeons' well-being.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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