Non-adaptive personality
traits may constitute risk factors for development of psychiatric disorders
such as depression and anxiety. We aim to evaluate associations and the
predictive value of personality traits among alcohol-dependent individuals,
with or without psychiatric comorbidities.
The convenience sample comprised two
groups of males over 18 years of age: one with subjects who had an alcohol
dependence diagnosis (AG, n=110), and a control group without abuse and/or
alcohol dependence diagnosis (CG, n=110). The groups were assessed by means of
the Structured Clinical Interview DSM-IV (SCID-IV). AG participants were
recruited among outpatients from the university hospital, whereas CG
participants were recruited from a primary healthcare program. Data collection
was done individually with self-assessment instruments. Parametric statistics
were performed, and a significance level of P=0.05 was adopted.
A positive
correlation was observed between openness and the length of time that alcohol
has been consumed, as were significant and negative correlations between
conscientiousness and both the length of time alcohol has been consumed and the
number of doses. For alcoholics, extraversion emerged as a protective factor
against depression development (P=0.008) and tobacco abuse (P=0.007), whereas
openness worked as a protective factor against anxiety (P=0.02).
The findings
point to specific deficits presented by alcoholics in relation to personality
traits with or without psychiatric comorbidities and to the understanding that
therapeutic approaches should favor procedures and/or preventive measures that
allow more refined awareness about the disorder.
Below: Table 2 highlights the statistically significant differences between AG and CG for all of the five assessed personality factors; all factors were less evident in AG.
1Departamento de Neurociência e Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil
