Personality Traits May Predict Drug Abuse Risk

Teens whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs may be prone to having negative or risk-taking personalities, which may help identify teens with a higher risk of substance abuse, researchers report.

The results of a study of more than 500 pairs of twins found that those with a parent dependent on alcohol were more likely than their peers to have a personality marked by irritability, aggression and mistrust. Teens whose parents abused drugs showed a propensity toward risk-taking, impulsive personalities. Substance abuse disorders are known to run in families, and, similarly, research has shown that personality is strongly influenced by genetics. The new findings, published in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggest that personality traits may be useful in spotting which kids are at risk of substance abuse and in designing better prevention efforts. For instance, lead study author Dr. Irene J. Elkins told Reuters Health that adolescents who are naturally risk-takers may be more likely to start smoking, but the common prevention message that smoking is bad for your health might not make much of an impression on kids with this type of personality. Elkins, a researcher at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, said she is now studying whether personality can help predict which young people will develop substance abuse problems. If so, personality traits could be used in designing better prevention programs. For the current study, the researchers used a standard questionnaire to assess personality traits among 17-year-old twins participating in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. The teenagers and their parents were also evaluated for alcohol and drug abuse. Most (97 percent) of the parents were Caucasian. Elkins and her colleagues found that, on average, teens with a parent who abused alcohol scored higher on measures of “negative emotionality,” a tendency toward psychological distress, nervousness, distrust of others and aggression. Those whose parents abused drugs scored lower on measures of “constraint,” meaning they were less likely than others to be cautious, “avoid thrills” or stick with traditional values. These patterns were similar for boys and girls. Elkins noted that while all interventions aimed at keeping kids from drinking or using drugs are well-intentioned, they are not necessarily grounded in basic research. The hope, she explained, is that research on personality can help refine prevention programs to reach the kids who are most at risk. (Source: American Journal of Psychiatry: Reuters Health News: April 2004.)