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Published on: January 7, 2019
Mood and personality-based models of substance use
Nadia Chakroun1, Elizabeth I Johnson, Joel Swendsen
1Universite Blaise Pascal.
Summary
Personality traits strongly predict substance use in young adults, but mood disorders and daily mood fluctuations do not significantly influence it. Novelty seeking and antisocial traits correlate with the social deviance of substances used.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Extensive research exists on mood and personality vulnerabilities in substance use disorders.
- However, their etiological relevance in nonclinical populations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine mood and personality-based models of substance use in a nonclinical sample of young adults.
- To assess the predictive power of personality factors and mood states on substance use patterns.
Main Methods:
- A nonclinical sample of 212 young adults was assessed for personality and clinical characteristics.
- Computerized ambulatory monitoring tracked mood states and substance use over a one-week period.
Main Results:
- Personality factors significantly predicted past 30-day substance use frequency and daily substance use via ambulatory monitoring.
- Novelty seeking and antisocial personality traits increased linearly with the social deviance of substances used.
- Mood disorder history was linked only to non-cannabis illicit drug use; mood fluctuations did not predict daily substance use for self-medication.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits are robust predictors of substance use in young adults.
- Mood states and history of mood disorders play a less significant role in substance use etiology than previously thought.
- The self-medication hypothesis was not supported in this nonclinical sample.
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