Relationship Between Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire Scores and Clinic Attendance Among Cocaine Abusing, Buprenorphine Maintained Outpatients

Abstract

With the recent approval of buprenorphine for the treatment of opiate dependence in the United States it has become important to develop an understanding of the factors that influence the likelihood of successful treatment outcomes when using buprenorphine. This study examined, in a convenience sample, the relationship between novelty-seeking behaviors, as determined by Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), and attendance variables during participation in a buprenorphine-based treatment program for 21 heroin-dependent cocaine users that took place in the late 1990s. Approximately two-thirds of the participants were male and primarily African-American. About half of them were employed and had at least a high school education. Approximately one-third of them were married or cohabitating and they all resided in the greater Detroit, Michigan area of the United States. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) was administered to the participants prior to entering the treatment program. Demographic variables, psychiatric distress, and substance use severity were also evaluated. Variables with significant bivariate relationships with poor attendance measures were entered into a regression analysis predicting attendance measures. Participants who scored high on the TPQ Novelty Seeking Scale attended significantly fewer regularly scheduled visits, had a greater overall number of missed visits, and shorter treatment retention times. Demographics, substance use severity, and psychiatric distress did not have significant relationships with these attendance measures.

• Impulsivity
• Novelty seeking
• TPQ
• Attendance
• Compliance
• Retention
• Buprenorphine

Resumen

Con la reciente aprobacion de buprenorphine para el tratamiento de la dependencia opiacea en los Estados Unidos ha sido importante desarrollar un entendimiento de los factores que influeyen en la probabilidad de resultados exitosos de tratamiento cuando se usa la buprenorphine. Este estudio examino, en una muestra conveniente, la relacion entre comportamientos de busca novedosa (novelty seeking behaviors), como son determinados por el Cuestionario de Personalidad Tridimensional de Cloninger (Tridimensional Personality Questionaire) (TPQ), y por los variables de atendencia durante la participacion en un tratamiento basado en buprenorphine por 21 dependientes de heroina adictos a la cocaina que tomo lugar en los ultimos anos de los 90s. Aproximadamente 2/3 de los participantes eran hombres y en su mayoria Afroamericanos. Como la mitad de ellos eran empleados y tenian por lo menos educacion preparatoria. Aproximadamente 1/3 de ellos eran casados o cohabitaban con pareja y todos residian en la area cosmopolitana de Detroit, Michigan en los Estados Unidos. El Cuestionario de Personalidad Tridimensional (TPQ) fue administrado a los participantes antes de entrar al programa de tratamiento. Variables demograficos, disturvio psyquiatrico, y la severidad de uso de substancias fueron tambien evaluados.Variables con relaciones significativas bivariantes y con medidas de atendencia pobre fueron integrados a un analisis de regresion prediciendo medidas de atendencia. Los participantes que tuvieron alta anotacion en el TPQ Novelty Seeking Scale atendieron significativamente menos citas regularmente planeadas, tuvieron un mayor numero de faltas en sus visitas, y una corta retension de tiempo en el tratamiento. Demografia, severidad de uso de substancia, y disturvio psyquiatrico no tuvieron relacion significante con estas medidas de atendencia.

Résumé

Avec la récente approbation da la buprénorphine pour traiter la dépendance aux opiacés aux Etats Unis, il est devenu important d’identifier les facteurs qui influencent les probabilités de succés avec ce nouveau traitment. Cette étude examina, dans un échantillon de population facilement accessible, la relation entre <<novelty seeking behaviors>> (recherche personnelle de nouvelles experiences), comme décrit dans le questionnaire tridimensionnel de personnalité par Cloninger (TPQ), et la fréquentation aux visites de 21 patients sous dépendance d’héroïne et utilisateurs de cocaïne lors d’un traitment à base de buprénorphine, vers la fin des annees 1990. Approximativement 2/3 des patients etaient de sex masculin et essentiellement Afro-Americains, dont la moitié d’entre eux avaient un emploi et avaient au moins un niveau d’étude secondaire. A peu pres 1/3 d’entre eux etaient marié ou vivaient en concubinage, et residaient dans la region de Detroit, Michigan (Etats Unis). Le questionnaire TPQ etait donné aux patients avant l’entrée dans le programme de traitement. Les caractéristiques démographiques, le désarroi psychiatrique, et la séverité de l’usage de la drogue etaient également évalué. Les facteurs correlés à une mauvaise fréquentation etaient inclus dans une analyse de la régression qui explique la frequentation. Les patients avec un score élevé dans l’ échelle TPQ et << novelty seeking behaviors >> se présentaient à moins de visites reguliaires avec rendez vous, avaient un grand nombre de visites manquées, et un temps plus court en traitement. Les caracteristiques démographiques, la séverité de l’usage de la drogue, et le désarroi psychiatrique n’avaient pas de relation significative avec la fréquentation des visites.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John M. Roll

John M. Roll, Ph.D., received his BS degree in Psychology from the University of Montana in 1988, his MS degree in Experimental Psychology from St. Bonaventure University in 1990, and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Washington State University in 1994. Following his Ph.D. he completed two Postdoctoral fellowships; one at the University of Vermont Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory and one at the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center. In 1997 Dr. Roll joined the faculty of Wayne State University as a member of the Research Division on Substance Abuse. He joined UCLA and FRI in December of 1999. He is currently the director of Behavioral Pharmacology at the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse programs. Dr. Roll's primary research interests are in basic behavioral pharmacology and the development of behavioral and interventions for substance abuse and related disorders.

Karen K. Saules

Karen K. Saules (formerly Karen K. Downey) is Associate Professor of Psychology and Psychology Clinic Director at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) in 1993, her Masters of Arts degree at Wayne State University in 1990, and her Bachelor's degree from Colby College in 1986 (Waterville, Maine). After completing her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan (1993–1995), she served as the Director of Treatment Research Services for Wayne State University's Research Division on Substance Abuse (1995–2001). In that capacity, she helped to develop a substance abuse treatment program that combined provision of clinical services with the conduct of clinical trials and other research endeavors. Her publications include 26 articles and 32 abstracts. Her expertise includes assessment and treatment of substance abuse and related disorders, including motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapies, and contingency management (i.e., behavioral) interventions. She has also published many papers relating to adult ADHD. Professional involvement includes the American Psychological Association (Divisions 28 and 50), the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Dr. Saules serves as ad hoc reviewer for many scientific journals and serves on a NIH Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel (SBIR/STTR) Study Section.

Joy E. Chudzynski

Joy Chudzynski currently works as Project Director for Dr. John Roll, at the University of California, Los Angeles, Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. She earned her Masters of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology at Western Carolina University in 2001, and her Bachelor's degree in psychology from Purdue University. Prior to joining Dr. Roll she worked in the laboratories of Dr. Stephen Tiffany at Purdue and Dr. Chris-Ellyn Johanson at Wayne State University. Her work in these laboratories centered on examining the cognitive underpinning of craving for drugs of abuse and examining individual differences in response to acute challenges of abused drugs. She also served as the Editorial Assistant to Dr. C. R. Schuster during his term as Editor of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. She hopes to receive her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and pursue a joint track of clinical practice and research focusing on issues related to substance abuse.

Ruthlyn Sodano

Ruthlyn Sodano grew up in Maine and obtained her B.A. at Oberlin College. She then moved to Los Angeles, and has been working for UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs for nearly four years. She has been involved in multiple studies as a study coordinator, and has recently started graduate school with the intent of obtaining a doctorate in clinical psychology. She continues to work with the Principal Investigators at UCLA, assisting in the writing of grants and manuscripts for publication.