A multi-institutional survey was completed across seven medical schools in Japan. A self-report anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 1152 medical students and the response rate was high ( 951 respondents [82.6%]). The following types of alcohol-related harassment among medical students by senior medical students or doctors: (i) being coerced into drinking alcohol; (ii) being compelled to drink an alcoholic beverage all at once (the ikki drinking game); (iii) being deliberately forced to drink until unconscious, and (iv) being subjected to verbal abuse, physical abuse or sexual harassment in relation to alcohol. The prevalence of becoming a harasser among medical students was also measured.
An astounding 821 respondents (86.3%) experienced alcohol-related harassment and 686 (72.1%) had harassed others. In multivariate regression, having an experience of alcohol-related harassment correlated with both being harassed (odds ratio [OR] 14.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.73-23.98) and being a harasser (OR 13.19, 95% CI 8.05-22.34). The presence of senior members of medical college clubs who were regular drinkers also correlated with both being harassed (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.88-4.67) and being a harasser (OR 2.97, 95% CI 2.06-4.27).
Heavy drinking and associated harassment is common among Japanese medical students. What impact this may have on depression, burnout and even alcoholism is unknown.
