Personality, substance of choice, and polysubstance involvement among substance dependent patients

The authors compared the association of several personality traits, drug of choice, and polysubstance involvement in 325 individuals (44% male) receiving treatment for substance dependence on heroin, cocaine, and/or alcohol. Measures included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, the MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC), the socialization scale of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI-Soc), the novelty seeking dimension of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-NS), and the conscientiousness domain of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-C). Analyses adjusted for demographic covariates, affective and antisocial personality disorder, and substance dependence severity. Although scant evidence supported the hypothesis that these personality traits were associated with substance choice, CPI-Soc and MAC were associated linearly with the extent of polysubstance involvement. Also, patients who were dependent on two or more substances displayed higher levels of TCI-NS, CPI-Soc, and MAC. Findings implicate an association between behavioral disinhibition and a continuum of addiction defined primarily in terms of polysubstance involvement.