Bridge Nodes between Personality Traits and Alcohol-Use Disorder Criteria: The Relevance of Externalizing Traits of Risk Taking, Callousness, and Irresponsibility

Abstract

Background: Personality disorders show strong comorbidities with alcohol-use disorder (AUD), and several personality traits have been found to be more frequent in people with AUD. This study analyzes which personality facets of those proposed in the Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD) of DSM-5 are associated with the diagnostic criteria of AUD. Methods: The sample was composed of 742 participants randomly selected from the Spanish population, and 243 patients attending mental health services. All participants were of legal age and signed an informed consent form. The instruments were administered to the community sample in an online format, and a psychologist conducted individual face-to-face interviews with the patients. AMPD facets were assessed through the Personality Inventory of DSM-5 Short-Form, and the AUD criteria through the Substance Dependence Severity Scale. A network analysis was applied to identify the personality facets mostly associated with the AUD criteria. Results: The network analysis showed the existence of three communities, grouping the AUD criteria, externalizing spectrum facets, and internalizing spectrum facets, respectively. Risk taking, callousness, and irresponsibility facets showed the strongest association with the AUD criteria, bridging externalizing personality traits with AUD criteria. Conclusions: The facets of risk taking, callousness, and irresponsibility should be accurately assessed in patients with AUD to differentiate between a possible primary personality disorder and a syndrome induced by alcohol addiction.

Maladaptive facet trait profiles and psychopathology: a person-centered assessment approach

“…Importantly, relation of traits with mental health outcomes should be further considered. Phenotypic relationships between these symptoms and traits have also been evidenced on variable-centered approaches through factor analyses studies (Markon, 2010) and by empirical networks' evidence (Borsboom & Cramer, 2013;De la Rosa et al, 2022), and was integrated into theoretical models such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP; Kotov et al, 2017). The aforementioned study by Rossi et al (2021), showed that the Resilient type showed less pathology than the other types, Overcontrolled profiles had a higher prevalence of mood disorders, while the Undercontrolled exhibited higher scores on borderline and narcissistic scales.…”

Recent Advances in Dual Disorders (Addiction and Other Mental Disorders)

“…This may be specifically useful in the comorbidity between SUD and personality disorders. The research by De la Rosa-Cáceres et al [10] focused on the study of the personality facets of the Alternative Model of Personality Disorder of DSM-5 [11] in patients with alcohol use disorder by means of a network analysis. The data show a connection with the facets related to the disinhibition (risk taking, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and rigid perfectionism) and antagonism (callousness, grandiosity, and hostility) domains, which are also associated with premature patient dropout.…”