A cross-sectional study of personality traits in women previously treated or untreated for alcohol use disorders
2007

Personality Traits and Treatment-Seeking in Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

Sample size: 1339 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Östlund Anette, Hensing Gunnel, Jakobsson Annika, Sundh Valter, Spak Fredrik

Primary Institution: The Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine

Hypothesis

The study aims to analyze the associations between treatment-seeking for alcohol use disorders, personality traits, and psychiatric co-morbidity in women.

Conclusion

Treatment-seeking was not associated with personality traits, but women with resolved alcohol use disorders who received treatment had higher scores on several personality scales.

Supporting Evidence

  • Women with lifetime alcohol use disorders who received treatment scored higher on anxiety and guilt scales.
  • Personality traits did not predict treatment-seeking behavior.
  • Women with resolved alcohol use disorders resembled the general population on most personality traits.

Takeaway

The study looked at how personality affects whether women seek help for drinking problems, finding that those who got help had more anxiety and guilt.

Methodology

The study used pooled cross-sectional data from three population-based samples and one clinical sample, involving face-to-face interviews and personality assessments.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from self-reported data and the differences between clinical and general population samples.

Limitations

The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and pooling clinical and population samples may introduce variability.

Participant Demographics

The study focused on women with alcohol use disorders, including both treated and untreated individuals.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.004

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 1.1–8.7

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1747-597X-2-24

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