Substance-Use Situations and Abstinence Predictions in Substance Abusers with and Without Personality Disorders

Abstract

Rates of personality disorders (PDs) in substance abusers are higher than in the general population. Comorbid PDs are believed to complicate the treatment of addicted patients: in addition to having more severe substance-use disorders and life problems, personality-disordered patients may use substances differently than their peers without Axis II diagnoses. In a sample of 339 adults receiving inpatient treatment for alcohol or drug abuse/dependence, 71.7% received Axis II diagnoses, and they presented a more severe clinical picture. They also had more self-reported “impulsive” substance use and use of drugs or alcohol in positive situations. Different groups of personality-disordered patients had different patterns of self-efficacy for abstinence for hypothetical future situations.