RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Several personality traits predict future alcohol problems but also relate to demographic and substance-related variables that themselves correlate with later adverse alcohol outcomes. Few prospective studies have evaluated whether personality measures predict alcohol problems after considering current demographic and substance-related variables. METHODS: Data from 414 drinkers without alcohol use disorder (AUD) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (average age 20, 44% male) were followed over an average of 9 years. Time 1 (baseline) demography, AUD family history (FH), substance use and problems, and psychiatric histories were gathered using a standardized interview; the Level of Response (LR) to alcohol was measured by the Self-Report of the Effects of alcohol (SRE) questionnaire; and seven personality dimensions were extracted from the NEO Five-Factor Personality, Barratt, and Zuckerman scales. Analyses involved product-moment correlations of each baseline measure with the highest number of DSM-IV AUD criteria endorsed in any follow-up period, and hierarchical regression analyses evaluated whether the personality domains added significantly to the prediction of the outcome after adjusting for other baseline variables. RESULTS: Significant correlations with the outcome were observed for baseline age, sex, length of follow-up, AUD family history, past cannabis use, and all alcohol-related baseline variables, including SRE-based LR, but not prior mood or anxiety disorders. All personality characteristics except extraversion also correlated with outcomes. A hierarchical regression analysis that included all relevant personality scores together demonstrated significant contributions to the prediction of future alcohol problems for demographics in Step 1; demographics and most baseline alcohol items, including response level, in Step 2; and cannabis use in Step 3; after which demographics, LR, baseline alcohol problems, cannabis use, and higher sensation seeking added significantly in Step 4. Regression for each personality domain separately revealed significant contributions to Step 4 for all personality domains except openness. Lower levels of response to alcohol added significantly to all regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Most tested personality scores and lower levels of response to alcohol contributed to predictions of later alcohol problems even after considering baseline demographic and substance use measures.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Endorsement of specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria have been shown to change significantly over time in men in their thirties who have persistent or recurrent AUD. However, few studies have documented whether the endorsement of AUD items changes over time in younger individuals or in women. We evaluated changes in the endorsement of AUD criteria in 377 men and women with persistent or recurrent AUD during their twenties. METHODS: Information on AUD-item endorsement over time was available for 223 men and 154 women aged 20-25 with persistent or recurrent AUD in at least three interviews in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. The statistical significance of endorsement changes over time was evaluated using the related-sample Cochran's Q test for the full sample and for men and women separately. Additional analyses evaluated sex differences in the patterns of change. RESULTS: In the full sample, the predominant pattern was for a significant increase in the rates of endorsement for six of the seven alcohol dependence criteria but not in the four abuse criteria. A similar pattern was seen within men, but women had significant changes in only three of the seven dependence criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Endorsement of the seven alcohol dependence criteria among individuals with persistent or recurrent AUD in their twenties generally increased, but few changes were observed in the rates of endorsement of the four abuse criteria. These results are discussed in terms of how they reflect on the nature of AUD and the DSM criteria.
