[Is drug dependence an occupational risk for physicians?].

Physicians are probably a high-risk group for the development of dependency. In addition to the particular demands associated with the profession of medicine, another cause is to be sought in the specific aspects of a doctor's personality. Occupational stress and an inability to develop adequate compensatory mechanisms can lead to burnout and addiction. Over and beyond treatment, rational prophylaxis is urgently required, and this should not fail to include a critical consideration of the self-image of the medical profession.