Personality Traits in Opioid Dependence
Author Information
Author(s): Hege Kornør, Hilmar Nordvik
Primary Institution: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Hypothesis
Is there a distinct personality pattern associated with opioid dependence in young Norwegian adults?
Conclusion
Patients with opioid dependence were more emotionally unstable, more introverted, and less structured than the non-clinical controls.
Supporting Evidence
- Opioid-dependent individuals scored higher on Neuroticism and lower on Extraversion and Conscientiousness compared to controls.
- The study found medium and large effect sizes in personality traits between opioid dependent and non-clinical groups.
- High Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness are consistent traits in substance use disorders across different studies.
Takeaway
People who depend on opioids often have different personality traits compared to those who don't, like being more anxious and less outgoing.
Methodology
Compared FFM personality traits in opioid dependent persons with a non-clinical, age- and sex-matched sample using the NEO PI-R questionnaire.
Potential Biases
Potential influence of buprenorphine therapy and counseling on personality trait scores.
Limitations
Participants' drug influence during personality assessment is unknown, and the study design can only identify associations without establishing causality.
Participant Demographics
Mean age 27 years, 34% females, with various psychiatric disorders.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
1.3–2.14
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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