The relationship between personality type and style of Alcohol Use

Abstract

Two hundred fifty male, alcoholic VA inpatients were administered the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) and the Alcohol Use Inventory (AUI). A cluster analysis, based on the scales of the MCMI, yielded three clusters: Cluster 1 was the smallest and was described by the least overall psychopathology. Cluster 2 had significant elevations on Antisocial, Narcissistic, Paranoid, Drug and Alcohol Abuse scales. Cluster 3 was the largest and had significant elevations on Avoidant, Schizoid, Dependent, Passive‐Aggressive, Anxiety, Dysthymia, and Alcohol Abuse scales.

Substance Abuse Problems, Psychiatric Symptoms, and Post-Treatment Status in MCMI Psychopathology Subgroups of Cocaine Dependent Males

“…Indeed, the presence of MCMI identified antisocial personality has been linked to biologically verified unfavorable treatment response among opiate addicts during short-term outpatient treatment (8). Consistent with previous literature (8,9,13,14), membership in the "subclinical" group (Cluster 2) in this investigation was associated with fewer psychiatric, family, and drug problems at treatment entry in comparison with several other cluster subgroups and with a comparatively high rate of nonrelapse (46%) in the year after treatment completion. Notably, this high-performing group was the smallest cluster subgroup among the four, constituting roughly 13% of the total sample.…”

“…In contrast, those in the Subclinical group revealed a comparatively much higher rate of non-relapse (46%) and a substantially lower rate of loss to follow-up (18%) (see Table 3). (6,(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Membership in the antisocial cluster subgroup was not associated with elevated levels of substance abuse related problems at intake or with significantly low post-treatment abstinence rates in the current study.…”

“…One useful approach has been to cluster analyze MCMI records in various groups of substance abusers. Such efforts have often identified four clinically coherent subgroups: high psychopathology, antisocial, neurotic, and subclinical (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). A high psychopathology subgroup has been found to be associated with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, greater depression, more suicide attempts, more previous psychiatric and drug treatments, and drug treatment nonresponse (8).…”

“…A high psychopathology subgroup has been found to be associated with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, greater depression, more suicide attempts, more previous psychiatric and drug treatments, and drug treatment nonresponse (8). An antisocial cluster subgroup has been linked with high alcohol consumption rates (13,16), serious alcohol problems (13), and drug treatment nonresponse in one study involving predominantly male Caucasian opiate abusers (8) but not in another in which African-American male participants were in the majority (18). Neurotic cluster subgroup membership has been linked to solitary drinking among alcohol abusers (12), and longer opiate use histories, more medical and psychological problems, and less favorable treatment response among opiate addicts (8).…”

Heuristic cluster analysis of alcoholics according to biographic and personality features

“…One of these two types corresponds to a large extent to our normovalent type (cluster 2). By means of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Corbisiero and Reznikoff (1991) found a three-cluster solution. Of all clusters, their cluster 1 showed the least increase in the scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory.…”