[Personality differences between substance addicts and general population. Study of clinical cases with matched...

Objective: This article explores differences in personality traits between subjects with substance addiction in treatment and subjects from the general population matched in the variables sex, age and educational level. Material and method: Consecutive sampling was used to obtain a sample of participants undergoing treatment for addictive disorders at a public centre (CAD 4). A sample of the general population was obtained by means of the snowball technique. Only pairs (one participant from each sample) with the same age, sex and educational level were considered. In this way, 55 pairs were obtained. Cloninger's TCI-R was used and the global results were compared, crossing all variables. Results: Significant and consistent differences were found in just two traits: Novelty-Seeking, greater in addicts, and Self- Directedness, greater in general population. Conclusions: Data strongly suggest that observed differences are not previous, but consecutive to the addiction, it being apparent that the effects of the substances and the psychosocial conditions associated with their consumption are what exacerbates or blocks development of the traits. Findings are related to studies linking these variables with neuropsychological functions, and the inclusion of this neuropsychological perspective is strongly proposed for application to the assessment and treatment of addictive disorders.