A Comparative Study of Personality Profile among Patients with Alcohol use Disorder and Opioid use Disorder

Abstract

Background: In India, two most common substances for which people seek treatment are alcohol and opioids. The
conceptualization of personality in substance users shifted from the notion of an “addictive personality” to recognition
that certain personality traits specifically impulsivity, sensation-seeking, novelty-seeking, low agreeableness and
conscientiousness, high neuroticism are associated with substance use disorders and influence their development,
maintenance and course.
Methods: 70 people with alcohol related disorders and 70 patients with opioid related disorders diagnosed by DSM 5
were interviewed with SADQ, LEEDS and NEO FFI3 to assess severity of substance related disorders and personality of
those patients.
Results: The study showed than neuroticism (32.25±4.22) was more in severe alcohol dependence patients and so
was extraversion (31.50±3.94). agreeableness (38.00±5.57) and conscientiousness (40.33±4.73) was more in the mild
physical dependency group. Openness to experience had similar ranges in all the 3 dependency groups. Neuroticism
(38.25±3.55) was very high in high dependency OUD group and so was extraversion (34.92±3.65). Openness to experience,
agreeableness and conscientiousness had neutral findings in all the three dependence category.
Discussion: Previous studies showed agreeableness and conscientiousness were high in alcohol related disorders and in
Opioid dependant patients neuroticism and extraversion were high. Our findings are also in the same way. Hence, there
was significant association between the personality profile factors and the type of substance dependence and severity.