Elsevier

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 23, Issue 4, July–August 1998, Pages 497-507
Addictive Behaviors

The relationship of neo-pi performance to coping styles, patterns of use, and triggers for use among substance abusers

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4603(98)00005-7Get rights and content

Abstract

We investigated the construct validity of the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) with a clinical population of 2,676 substance abusers. Scores on the NEO-PI were correlated with self-report measures of psychopathology as well as patterns of substance abuse, reported coping styles, relapse triggers, and relapse confidence. Substance abusers were more Neurotic and less Agreeable and Conscientious than were the NEO-PI nonclinical normative sample. Within subgroups of substance users, cocaine-only users were more Extroverted and Open than were alcohol-only users. Polysubstance users were the least Agreeable and Conscientious group. Alcohol-only users and polysubstance users scored higher on Neuroticism than did other groups. Personality dimensions related to reported coping styles in meaningful ways. For example, Neuroticism was highly related to escape avoidant coping (r = .53), Agreeableness was negatively related to confrontive coping (r = −.28), and Conscientiousness was related to problem solving (r = −.27) and negatively related to escape avoidance (r = −.29). Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Extroversion were associated with reported triggers of use including negative emotional states, social rejection, and tension. Higher levels of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Extroversion were associated with greater confidence in ability to refrain from use, whereas Neuroticism was associated with a corresponding lack of confidence in self-restraint.

Section snippets

Patterns of substance use

Patterns of substance use have become increasingly complex among abusers. The abuse of more than one substance has become more common, particularly among younger abusers (e.g., Campbell, Winger, & McCormick, 1991). There are logical reasons to expect that personality traits may influence the choice of substances used. McCormick and Smith (1995) found a significant relationship between measures of hostility, including the NEO-PI Hostility Scale, and patterns of use among substance abusers, with

Patterns of coping

Social-learning models of addiction focus on the importance of the availability of alternative, effective coping responses in substance use and abuse (e.g., Abrams & Niaura, 1987). Substance use itself can be viewed as an avoidant coping mechanism utilized when adaptive coping alternatives are not available. Litman, Eiser, Rawson, and Oppenheim (1979) found that the coping behavior they labeled positive thinking, as well as the total number of coping behaviors available to the patient,

Situations that trigger substance use and reduce relapse confidence

Considerable research has been conducted on the relationship between the types of situations that trigger or precipitate substance use and substance-use patterns (e.g., Marlatt & Gordon, 1985). Litman et al. (1979) found that the number of stressful precipitating situations, particularly situations involving unpleasant affect, were predictive of poor outcome (in the form of relapse). Annis and Davis (1988) contend that efficacy expectations, including the patient’s belief as to whether

Subjects

Subjects in the present study were patients being assessed or provided treatment at a comprehensive substance abuse treatment center at the Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. All patients, as part of the assessment process, were administered a clinical interview (either the Substance Use Disorders Diagnostic Schedule [SUDDS; Harrison & Hoffman, 1985], or the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R [SCID; Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon, & First, 1992]) to determine if they

Results

To assess the personality characteristics of the current subjects, the mean scores for the substance abusers on the five NEO factors are presented in Table 1 along with data from the NEO-PI normative sample (Costa & McCrae, 1989). The substance abusers appear substantially more Neurotic than those in the norm group (scoring at the 88th percentile respective to the normative sample). Substance abusers display average levels of Extroversion and somewhat lower levels of Openness compared to the

Discussion

Compared to the normative sample for the NEO-PI, substance abusers in this study demonstrated higher levels of Neuroticism and lower levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. These findings are consistent with the pathology associated with substance abuse. The NEO-PI demonstrated adequate construct validity, relating in meaningful ways with the other measures of psychopathology available for our cohort of substance abusers. The correlations of the NEO-PI with the BDI, BIS-10, and BDHI are

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