Pierre K. Alexandre, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine--University of Miami, Highland Building--Third Floor (D-93), 1801 NW 9 Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, 305-243-3482, pialexan@jhsph.edu

The economic costs of alcohol abuse in the American workplace were estimated at over $134 billion in 1998, with lost-productivity due to alcohol-related illness accounting for more than $86 billion (Harwood, 2000). A growing body of literature has examined the relationship between alcohol abuse and workers’ job performance. Comparisons across studies indicate that while some results find a negative association between alcohol consumption and income, others report positive or insignificant effects. Attempts to understand the relationships between substance disorders and labor market problems should also investigate other possible co-occurring and confounding issues. One possible factor is mental illness, which has been found to be a consistent correlate of alcohol abuse. For many individuals, personal conditions such as mental health problems are important factors in influencing labor market decisions. However, because of limited or unavailable data, studies on substance use and labor market relationships have failed to examine the confounding effects of substance use and mental illness. The 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), one of the largest and most comprehensive national surveys of substance abuse in the U.S., added for the first time a series of questions designed to assess serious mental illness (SMI). The present paper utilizes the 2001 NHSDA to examine the relationship between comorbid alcohol/mental disorders and days skipped from work. Preliminary results indicate that comorbid alcohol and mental disorders have higher labor impacts relative to either pure alcohol disorder or pure mental disorder, but that the bulk of the impact is explained by mental illnesses.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will

• Be informed on diverse aspects of labor market effects of substance use and mental illnesses;
• Learn how to address the empirical problems typically associated with estimating the relationships between labor supply and substance abuse or mental disorders.
• Learn how to handle correlation between missing or unobservable determinants of substance abuse/mental illness and labor supply outcomes.

Keywords: Co-morbid,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Grants from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Grants from NIAAA