Predicting Relapse to Substance Abuse as a Function of Personality Dimensions

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to determine whether personality traits are related to return to heavy drinking or drug use following treatment for substance abuse. Personality characteristics of one hundred and eight patients residing on an inpatient substance abuse treatment program were assessed. Personality traits were examined using the 5-factor model of personality as measured by the NEO-Personality Inventory. These patients were then followed for 1 year after discharge from the treatment program. These substance abuse patients scored higher than the NEO-Personality Inventory normative sample on the personality domains of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. A survival analysis showed that Neuroticism and Conscientiousness from the NEO-Personality Inventory were significant predictors of relapse. Odds ratios showed that the risk of relapsing was greatest for those patients who were both low in conscientiousness and high in neuroticism. The relevance of these two broad personality dimensions to the development and maintenance of addiction is discussed. Treatment implications for patients who possess these personality risk factors are outlined.

Personality and Addiction: A Critical Review of Assessment Approaches

“…For instance, with regard to alcohol use in college, Park, Sher, Wood, and Krull (2009) found that "individuals high in impulsivity/novelty seeking appear to select into the Greek system because of its drinking-centered atmosphere" and that these individuals "increase their drinking through selection into a high-risk environment, which then exerts further influence on drinking" (p. 251). Finally, personality factors may be helpful in identifying individuals who are most at risk for relapse following treatment (e.g., Cannon, Keefe, and Clark, 1997;Fisher, Elias, and Ritz, 1998;Muller, Weijers, Boning, and Wiesbeck, 2008). For instance, Bottlender and Soyka (2005) found that alcohol-dependent patients with higher scores on the trait of neuroticism and lower scores on conscientiousness were significantly more likely to relapse following treatment.…”

Individual differences in preferences for and responses to four nicotine replacement products

“…2. Extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness by means of the NEO Questionnaire (see Fisher et al 1998) -session 1. 3.…”

Personality and Drinking Behavior in Alcohol Dependence: A Survival Analysis

“…The Five-Factor model consists of five main personality traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (see Table 1 for a list of characteristics associated with each of these factors). Cross-sectional assessments of personality have found that individuals in treatment for alcohol dependence are characterized by high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness (Fisher, Elias, & Ritz, 1998;Martin & Sher, 1994), with some investigators also finding evidence of low Agreeableness (McCormick, Dowd, Quirk, & Zegarra, 1998).…”

“…Knowing the relative risk for relapse of personality informs knowledge about the course of recovery and treatment decision making. Fisher et al (1998) were the first to investigate the influence of Five-Factor model traits on relapse in individual with alcohol dependence. The study followed 108 participants for one year after completion of an inpatient treatment program, using clinical judgment of whether participants were actively using alcohol or drugs as the relapse outcome measure.…”

“…A number of investigators have employed survival analysis methods in alcoholism research, although only Fisher et al (1998) has done so to predict relapse with personality measures. Commentaries on alcoholism research have encouraged further use of survival analysis methods (Collins & Flaherty, 2006;Stout & Papandonatos, 2003).…”