Substance use in young adults: associations with personality and gender

We examined relationships among personality (i.e., negative affectivity and conscientiousness), and use of licit and illicit substances in a sample of 421 college-aged social drinkers (52.7% women, 47.3% men). Results indicated significant relationships between personality and substance use as well as gender differences. Negative affectivity was related to greater illicit substance use, but not alcohol use or smoking. Conscientiousness was related to less alcohol use and smoking, which fully mediated relationships between conscientiousness and with less use of marijuana and other illicit substances. For women, conscientiousness was associated with less alcohol and smoking, compared to men. For men, alcohol use and smoking were more likely to lead to marijuana use, compared to women. Our findings support differential pathways from personality to substance use, and gender appears to be an important moderating factor.