engleski

The relationship between personality traits and anxiety/depression levels in different types of substance abuse

To analyse the relationship between personality structure and emotional state of dyferent types of drug abusers, the objectives of this study were to examine: the levels of Eysenck's personality dimensions and the levels of anxiety and depression of heroin addicts and recreate drug users ; the relationship between personality and emotion variables ; and differences between those two groups of subjects concerning their personality traits and emotional state. During their ambulatory admission, 288 (219 males and 69 females) patients were completed Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (EPQ R/A) and Beck's Anxiety (BAI) and Depression Inventory (BDI). 191 of them were in the group of heroin addicts and 97 of them in the group of recreate drug users identified by the DSM-IV classification. Their averaged age was 22, ranged from 14 to 44. Significantly higher levels of psychoticism, neuroticism, criminality and addiction, that were determined in the group of heroin addicts, were significantly correlated with the higher levels of anxiety and depression. Higher extraversion and social conformity were determined in the group of recreate drug users who still had dispositions to resist of developing the addiction problem. Finally, even great differences in personality structure were determined between heroin addicts and recreate drug users, and even higher depression was found in the first group, there was no significant difference in the anxiety level between those two groups. The findings implied at the used measurement instruments here as the useful diagnostic tool that could provide with advantageous treatment directions.

personality traits; anxiety; depression; substance abuse

doi:10.1016/S0924-9338(10)71628-X