Personality & Addiction Lecture Notes PDF

PERSONALITY PSYU/X2234 Lecture 6: Personality & addiction A/Prof Simon Boag email: [email protected] 1 Readings (suggested) Amodeo, M. (2015). The addictive personality. Substance Use & Misuse, 50, 1031-1036 Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The myth...

PERSONALITY PSYU/X2234 Lecture 6: Personality & addiction A/Prof Simon Boag email: [email protected] 1 Readings (suggested) Amodeo, M. (2015). The addictive personality. Substance Use & Misuse, 50, 1031-1036 Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The myth of ‘addictive personality’. Global Journal of Addiction & Rehabilitation Medicine, 3, 1-3 2 Outline 1. Types of addiction Substance & behavioural addictions 2. Is there an ‘addictive personality’? 3. Personality & substance use 4. Personality & addiction How personality relates to different addictions 4. Can addiction change personality? 3 1. Types of Addiction Addiction as a disorder of the brain reward system (DSM-5, 2013) Around 1 in 20 Australians has an addiction or substance-abuse problem Tobacco & alcohol most common https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/substance-abuse Substance vs behavioural addictions DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY 4 Substance addiction DSM-5: substance use disorders Cluster of cognitive, behavioral, & physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues using the substance despite significant substance-related problems eg. alcohol, tobacco, opioids, stimulants, sedatives, cannabis DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY 5 Behavioural addictions (non-substance related disorders) The compulsion to continually engage in an activity or behaviour despite the negative impact on the person’s ability to remain mentally &/or physically healthy & functional in the home & community Gambling disorder (DSM-5) Exercise, shopping? Taking selfies, internet usage? DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY 6 2. Is there an ‘addictive personality’? “An addictive personality is a personality that is more likely to become addicted to something, whether a behavior or substance” (https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addictive- personality/) A specific personality configuration acting as a vulnerability/predisposing factor: ↑ developing multiple addictions ↑ difficulty with withdrawal ↑ turning to substitute addictions 7 Is there an ‘addictive personality’? 8 Is there an ‘addictive personality’? Early research on substance addiction 1950-1960s: ‘addiction-prone’ personality & psychological weaknesses (eg. Zimmering, 1952) Comparing addicts vs non-addicts Methodological issues (eg. causality?) Gendreau & Gendreau (1970); investigated ‘addiction-prone’ personality & narcotics use Found no difference b/w addicts & non- addicts on personality, SES, life history 9  Is there an ‘addictive personality’? Basic finding: There is no single set of personality characteristics that account for all addictions (Amodeo, 2015; Littlefield & Sher, 2016) Problems with the concept (Amodeo, 2015) Homogenising (one-size-fits-all) False categorising & hopelessness False assurance Does personality still predict addiction? Some people at ↑ risk? Substance vs behavioural addictions? 10 3. Personality & substance use Terracciano & Costa (2004): FFM & smoking N = 1,638 US Ss; mean age 60 yrs Cross-sectional study; self-report Compared never, former, current smokers 11 Terracciano, A., & Costa Jr, P. T. (2004). Smoking & the Five‐Factor Personality & nicotine use? Malouff et al. (2006); meta- analysis (4,730 Ss) Personality & smoking (ever used, frequency, quantity, abuse) ↑ Neuroticism ↓ Agreeableness ↓ Conscientiousness Modest relationships Malouff et al. (2006). The five-factor model of personality & 12 smoking: A meta-analysis. Journal of Drug Education, 36, 47-58 Personality & alcohol? Malouff et al. (2007); meta-analysis (7,886 Ss) Personality & alcohol involvement (ever used, frequency, quantity, abuse) ↑ Neuroticism ↓ Agreeableness ↓ Conscientiousness Modest relationships What about addiction specifically? Malouff, Jet al. (2007). Alcohol involvement & the five-factor model of 13 personality: A meta-analysis. Journal of Drug Education, 37, 277-294  4. Personality & addiction Zilberman et al (2018): examining personality profiles of substance/behavioural addictions Drugs (n = 58), alcohol (n = 50), gambling (n = 48), & sex (n = 65) Compared with controls (n = 78) Assessed impulsiveness, Big 5 Zilberman, N., Yadid, G., Efrati, Y., Neumark, Y., & Rassovsky, Y. (2018). Personality profiles of substance & behavioral addictions. Addictive Behaviors, 82, 174-181 14 Zilberman et al (2018) Main findings Alcohol: ↑ Neuroticism & impulsivity; ↓ Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness (compared to controls) Drug use & compulsive sexual behaviour: ↑ Neuroticism & impulsivity; lowest on agreeableness & conscientiousness Gambling: ↑ Neuroticism & impulsivity BUT socioeconomic factors also relevant (↑ income) Distinct profiles for different addictions, but: High Neuroticism & Impulsivity 15 common factors Zilberman et al (2018) Main findings 16 Personality & addiction Dash et al (2019): examining personality profiles of substance & behavioural addictions Alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, gambling disorder N = 3,785 twins & siblings from Australian Twin Registry (64% female) Assessed Big 5; psychiatric interviews 54% Ss met criteria for at least one diagnosis High co/multi-morbidity Dash, et al (2019). Big Five personality traits & alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, & 17 gambling disorder comorbidity. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 33, 420- Personality & addiction Dash et al (2019): Findings ↑ Neuroticism, ↓ Agree. ↓ Conc. common across all 4 addictions Nicotine/Cannabis: ↓ extraversion Cannabis: ↑ Openness 18  Does personality predict addiction? Most studies are cross-sectional Few prospective studies Elkins et al (2006) Personality & substance use disorders Minnesota Twin Family Study Same-sex twin sample (n = 1001; 569F; 432M) Assessed personality around age 17 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Negative/Positive emotionality; Constraint 3 year follow-up: Nicotine, alcohol, & illicit drug disorders 19 Does personality predict addiction? NE: Negative emotionality: easily upset, (stress, alienation, aggression) CN: Low constraint: impulsivity, high risk taking (low self-control & harm avoidance) Elkins et al (2006): Findings Nicotine dependence: ↑ NE & ↓CN Alcohol dependence/illicit drug dependence: ↑ NE & ↓CN (& being male) Elkins et al (2006). Personality traits & the development of nicotine, alcohol, & illicit drug disorders: prospective links from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 26-39 20 Does personality predict addiction? Slutske et al (2005): longitudinal population- based study Complete birth cohort (N = 939; 475M, 464F) Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Study Assessed personality around age 18 Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire 3-year follow-up: onset of gambling, nicotine, alcohol, & cannabis addictions Comparison of addicted/non-addicted Ss 21 Does personality predict addiction? Slutske et al (2005): findings Comparison with controls Gambling: ↑ NE & ↓CN Alcohol, Nicotine, Cannabis dependence: ↑ NE & ↓CN “… the personality profile associated with problem gambling is very similar with other substance-related addictive disorders” Slutske et al (2005). Personality & problem gambling: A prospective study of a birth cohort of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 769-775 22 Slutske et al (2005): findings 4. Can addiction change personality? Can personality change as a consequence of the addiction process? Drug addiction “causes a relentless destruction of character & releases criminal tendencies” (Anslinger & Tompkins, 1953) ‘Addictive personality’ as the effect of addiction (Nakken, 1988; Nathan, 1988) Dishonesty, aggression/anger? Risk-taking, depression/anxiety? Paranoia, criminal activity? 24 Addiction & brain changes (Berridge, 2017) Brain changes & addiction Chronic substance abuse linked to dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) (Goldstein & Volkow, 2011) PFC: planning, attention, emotional regulation & self-control Addiction: ↑ impulsivity, stress reactivity ↓ impaired self-monitoring, emotional regulation Dopamine pathways & enhanced craving Goldstein, R. Z., & Volkow, N. D. (2011). Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in addiction: neuroimaging findings & clinical implications. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 12, 652-669 25 Addiction & personality change? Östland et al (2007): prospective longitudinal study Women & alcohol in Göteborg study: n = 539; 5 year follow up Finding: for women who developed alcohol dependence/abuse… Personality generally stable but: ↑ impulsiveness ↑ verbal aggression (getting into arguments) Recovery: ↓ irritability, monotony avoidance (novelty seeking) 26  Addiction & personality change? Quinn et al (2011): prospective study (N = 6,391) High school/uni students assessed at 18 years; followed up at 3 & 4 years Assessed personality, alcohol usage Findings Time 1: ↑ Sensation seeking & seeking & impulsivity. Journal of Quinn et al. (2011). Collegiate heavy drinking prospectively predicts change in sensation impulsivity predicted ↑ alcohol consumption Follow up: Heavier drinking at uni predicted later increases in both traits 27 Addiction & personality change? 28  Questions? 29