[Personality disorder dimensions of MCMI-II in treated substance addicts]

To know the underlying dimensional structure of personality disorders in the MCMI-II through factor analysis.

A sample of 749 patients who start a treatment by substance abuse or dependence, according to DSM-IV criteria, compliment the MCMI-II, once free of the direct influences (intoxication, withdrawal) of abuse drugs. Their answers in the MCMI-II were studied, through first and second order factorial analysis.

An initial factorial solution of 46 components is obtained. The first of them refers to changes experienced in last years, explaining 25.51% of the variance. A second order factor analysis groups the former factors in 7 components. The first of them reunites symptoms of Axis I around the components of change in two last years and in the last months and weeks (14.17% of the total variance). The other components reflect those dimensions usually found in some other factor studies of personality.

Results show that a wide proportion of the variance in the MCMI-II is better explained by recent changes than stable traits and their extreme combinations. As these results are obtained in substance addict population, it is suggested part of which the MCMI-II measures can be referred to changes in personality. These changes may be associated to inadequate answers to stressful environmental factors. They can be also associated to changes in brain functions due to direct or indirect influences of substances on brain locations.