The Association of Untreated Mental Health Problems with Alcohol and Tobacco use Among New York City Taxi Drivers

Abstract

Objectives: Mental disorders and substance use disorders are highly comorbid. The "self-medication hypothesis" posits that individuals may use substances such as tobacco and alcohol to cope with symptoms associated with untreated mental health problems. The present study examined the association between having a currently untreated mental health condition and tobacco and alcohol use among male taxi drivers in NYC, a population at risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes.

Methods: The sample included 1105 male, ethnoracially diverse, primarily foreign-born NYC taxi drivers participating in a health fair program. This secondary cross-sectional analysis utilized logistic regression modeling to examine whether endorsement of a currently untreated mental health problem (i.e., depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder) was associated with alcohol and/or tobacco use, controlling for potential confounders.

Results: 8.5% of drivers reported having mental health problems; among these, only 0.5% reported receiving treatment. Untreated mental health problems were associated with an increased risk of current tobacco/alcohol use after controlling for age, educational attainment, nativity, and pain history: drivers with untreated mental health problems had 1.9x the odds of reporting current tobacco use [95% CI: 1.10-3.19] and 1.6x the odds of reporting current alcohol use [95% CI: 1.01-2.46] than those without untreated mental health problems.

Conclusions: Few drivers with mental health problems receive treatment. In line with the self-medication hypothesis, drivers with untreated mental health problems demonstrated significantly increased risk of tobacco and alcohol use. Efforts to encourage timely screening and treatment of mental health problems among taxi drivers are warranted.

Keywords: Ethnic and racial minorities; Limited English proficiency; Mental illness; Self-medication hypothesis; Substance use; Taxi drivers; Underserved populations.