Differences in temperament, character and psychopathology among subjects with different patterns of cannabis use

Patients who use illicit drugs and suffer from comorbid psychiatric illnesses have worse outcomes than drug users without a dual diagnosis. For this reason we aimed at identifying predictors of cannabis use severity using a multivariate model in which different clinical and socio-demographic variables were included.

We administered the Temperament and Character Inventory, SCID-P, SCID-II, the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Of the 84 subjects included, 25 were occasional users, 37 were abusers, and 22 were dependent on cannabis.

A stepwise multiple regression analysis identified increased self-transcendence scores and state anxiety severity as the only predictors of a increased cannabis use severity (F = 6.635; d.f. = 2, 81; p = 0.0021). In particular, in a further multivariate analysis of variance, the transpersonal identification issue of self-transcendence was associated significantly (F = 4.267; d.f. = 2, 81; p = 0.017) with greater severity of cannabis use.

Character dimension of self-transcendence and symptoms of state anxiety should be taken into consideration during the assessment procedure of patients with cannabis use as they may be helpful in the discrimination of cannabis use severity.