Role of personality traits in cocaine craving throughout an outpatient psychosocial treatment program

Abstract

Objective: Cocaine dependence is a major international public health concern. Its chronically relapsing nature is possibly related to craving intensity, which can be influenced by diverse biological and psychological aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the role of different personality traits in craving measured throughout a psychosocial treatment program. Method: The sample comprised 66 cocaine-dependent outpatients who were enrolled in an individual and manualized cognitive-behavioral therapy program. The influence of personality traits on craving intensity, frequency, and duration was analyzed using a generalized estimating equations model with an autoregressive correlation structure. Results: Craving varied during treatment. The personality traits of novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance interacted with craving intensity, and the personality trait of persistence interacted with craving duration throughout the treatment period. Furthermore, there were significant interactions between drug use and craving intensity, and between different routes of administration and craving intensity. Participants who used cocaine/crack while in treatment and concurrent users of crack (i.e., freebase) cocaine and powder cocaine also had a higher craving intensity. Conclusion: The extent of craving variation can depend on certain personality styles. This study shows that craving is influenced by personality traits, and this may presumably change clinical expression involved in disease.

Craving em usuários de crack segundo características individuais e comportamentais*

“…Studies show that craving levels will be higher the longer crack is used for and the greater the amount used. 11,14 We also found this pattern in our study: the highest craving levels were found in users who used the substance for a longer time.…”

“…Psychiatric comorbidities are often underestimated and underdiagnosed, with mental disorder symptoms being attributed to heavy crack consumption or withdrawal symptoms. 14,16,17 More vulnerable populations may be more susceptible to severe craving levels. We hope the results of this research will contribute to reflections about health inequities among crack users, helping the creation of new proposals focused on comprehensive health care to assist these people.…”

Novelty Seeking and Drug Addiction in Humans and Animals: From Behavior to Molecules

“…Carton and colleagues found that, consistent with other human studies, smokers scored highly on Sensation Seeking Scores, but that sensation seeking predicted only initiation of smoking and was not related to cessation outcomes (Carton et al, 2000). Conversely, other studies in human adults have confirmed the idea that cessation outcome and relapse rates can be predicted by novelty seeking (Meszaros et al, 1999; Kahler et al, 2009; Ismael and Baltieri, 2014). For example, Meszaros and colleagues demonstrated that novelty seeking was a strong predictor of relapse among detoxified alcohol-dependent patients (Meszaros et al, 1999).…”

“…Kahler and colleagues found that the level of sensation seeking was in fact negatively correlated with smoking cessation success; high sensation seekers faced reduced odds of cessation compliance and outcomes (Kahler et al, 2009). Ismael and Baltieri found that novelty seeking was positively associated with craving intensity among cocaine-dependent outpatients in therapy (Ismael and Baltieri, 2014). On the other hand, both impulsivity and novelty-seeking might be related with craving and relapse in alcohol dependence.…”

“…High novelty seeking increases one’s risk of using addictive drugs (Piazza et al, 1989; Belin and Deroche-Gamonet, 2012), and multiple studies have found that individuals who display high novelty-seeking traits use more drugs of abuse than do low novelty seekers (Piazza et al, 1989; Koob, 2000; Mahoney et al, 2015). Further, research has demonstrated a positive correlation between novelty seeking and relapse rates for several drugs of abuse among addicts (Meszaros et al, 1999; Kahler et al, 2009; Ismael and Baltieri, 2014). …”