Psychopathic Traits Are Associated with Lifetime History of Nicotine Dependence among Incarcerated Offenders

Abstract

Background: Individuals scoring high on psychopathy engage in problematic patterns of alcohol and illicit substance use. However, our understanding regarding the association between psychopathy and nicotine use remains limited, which is surprising, given the detrimental consequences associated with such use. Previous studies have observed significant correlations between psychopathic traits (particularly Factor 2 scores assessing lifestyle/behavioral and antisocial traits from the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised [PCL-R]) and increased frequency of nicotine use. However, no study has investigated whether individuals scoring high on psychopathy are characterized by problematic patterns of nicotine use, including lifetime history of nicotine dependence.

Objectives: The current study aimed to address this gap, specifically investigating whether PCL-R scores were associated with higher total scores from the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND).

Results: Across both incarcerated men and women, PCL-R total, Factor 2, and Facet 3 (measuring lifestyle/behavioral psychopathic traits) scores were positively correlated with FTND total scores. Additionally, across both samples, hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed these same psychopathy scores remained associated with higher FTND total scores when controlling for additional covariate measures (e.g., age, severity of alcohol and illicit substance use, race, ethnicity, and IQ).

Conclusions/Importance: Though associated with small effect sizes, our results support the notion that lifestyle/behavioral psychopathic traits represent a general risk factor for engaging in risky behavior associated with deleterious health consequences, including nicotine use. Our results hold implications for the development of treatment approaches, designed to reduce problematic levels of substance use among individuals scoring high on psychopathy.

Keywords:

• Psychopathy
• nicotine dependence
• incarcerated sample

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) through grants R01 DA026505 (P I: Kiehl), R01 DA026964 (P I: Kiehl), and R01 DA020870 (P I: Kiehl), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) through grants R01 MH085010 (P I: Kiehl), and R01 MH070539 (P I: Kiehl). The authors do not report any biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. We are grateful to the New Mexico and Wisconsin Department of Corrections for their assistance in making this research possible.

Notes

1 As race is a categorical variable, this variable was dummy coded to allow for its inclusion within hierarchical linear regression analyses. The number of groups here was five (K – 1), with White being chosen as the reference group, as the majority of participants self-identified as White.

2 While some correlations between variables remained consistent across gender, other correlations were not consistent across gender (e.g., correlations between FTND total scores and participant’s age). Therefore, we also report unadjusted associations between FTND total scores and PCL-R total, factor, and facet scores, without the influence of covariate measures, in our Supplemental Materials.

3 While women in the current study were characterized by larger effect sizes compared to men, across gender, small effect sizes were observed, via correlation and hierarchical linear regression analyses.

4 As reported in our Supplemental Materials, unadjusted associations were also investigated between psychopathy scores and FTND total scores, without the influence of covariate measures. In these analyses performed, consistent effects were observed as those reported in the main text (i.e., PCL-R total, Factor 2, and Facet 3 scores were associated with higher FTND total scores for both men and women).

5 In Regressions #2 and #3, participants who self-identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (n = 2) were not included in hierarchical linear regression analyses, as these participants did not have PCL-R Factor 2 and Facet 4 scores, due to too many omitted items to correctly calculate factor and facet scores.

Additional information

Funding

National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute on Drug Abuse.