Influence of Personality Traits on the Severity of Alcohol Use Disorders

Abstract

Introduction: Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are the most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis in the general population. The study of personality characteristics, using Cloninger Personality Inventory (TCI-R), allows us to know the evolution of these patients at the beginning of treatment. Material and Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study for 3 years with a total of 304 patients. We studied the severity of their alcohol disorder by the Alcohol Dependency Intensity Scale (EIDA), Scale of Obsessive Consumption Compulsive (OCDS) and European version of the Addiction Severity Index (EUROPASI); we studied the relationship with the personality traits of TCI-R. Results and conclusions: The personality lines influence the evolution of alcohol use disorder (AUD). People with higher scores on Reward Dependency (RD), Persistence (P), Cooperation (CO) and Autotranscendence (ST) have a better prognosis while people with higher scores on Search for Novelty (SN) and Avoidance of Damage (AD) have a worst prognosis. Women present differences in consumption in relation to men, as a consequence of their personality. Women have lower scores in Persistence (P) y Self-Transcendence (ST) which are associated with the greater severity of their addiction.

The Matthew Effect in Recovery from Smartphone Addiction in a 6-Month Longitudinal Study of Children and Adolescents

“…Harm-avoidant temperament and impulsivity are well-known risk factors of PSU and other addictive disorders [ 12 , 42 , 57 , 58 ]. These risk factors may act as biological vulnerabilities to PSU.…”

Personality Profile and Severity of Alcohol Use in Patients with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study from Central Rural India

“…According to Cloninger, gender influences the severity of alcohol consumption disorder via personality. Three of four temperamental variables (Reward Dependency, Avoidance of Damage and Search for Novelty) are influenced by gender in their relationship with severity of AUD [23]. These variations in results of present and previous studies with respect to personality profile and its correlation with severity of ADS could be attributed to differences in study population; sampling factors; characteristics of the sample; diagnostic criteria applied, or assessment procedures used.…”

“…Donadon and Osorio showed that alcoholic group scored lower on personality traits such as openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism using Five personality factor inventory NEO revised [36]. In another study by Alvarez, et al, AUD patients suffered from more impulsive personality, have tendency to experience new emotions, apprehensive or more fearful, attributes their problems to others and may have lack of objectives [23].…”

“…In other words, people who were more ambitious, sociable and perfectionist had less intensity of dependence and less severe AUD. On other hand, characteristic features, Cooperation (CO), Self-Transcendence (ST) and Self-Direction (SD) are related to a lower severity of disorder by alcohol consumption and there is a lower intensity of dependency [23].…”

“…Alcohol dependence has been associated with higher neuroticism scores and lesser conscientiousness scores [22]. People with higher scores on Reward Dependency, Cooperation, Persistence and Auto-transcendence have better prognosis whereas those with higher scores on Avoidance of Damage and search for Novelty have worst prognosis [23]. Different studies found higher scores on disinhibition, impulsivity, aggressive and antisocial behavior in people with AUD which suggest low control capacity [24,25].…”