Five-Factor Model Personality Profiles: The Differences between Alcohol and Opiate Addiction among Females.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of female alcohol and substance abusers has markedly increased. The main objective of this research was to explore personality profiles among females who had alcohol and opiate dependence. AIM: The aim of the study is to analyse if there is differences in personality profiles of females addicted to alcohol and opiates. We hypothesized that there might be significant differences in personality profiles among subgroups of women who present with alcohol and opiate use disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Of 157 consecutive women with diagnosis of alcohol/opiate addiction, 62 fulfilled following inclusion criteria: age 19-45 years, abstinence from alcohol and opiates for at least 10 days prior to enrollment. Alcohol-dependent group consisted of 30 females, while opiate-dependent group consisted of 32 females. The control group involved 30 age-matched randomly chosen healthy women. The data were collected using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). The multiple stepwise discriminant analysis was used to determine relations between personality traits and the probability of belonging to one of the study groups. RESULTS: Significant differences in the NEO-PI-R scores were observed between groups for all main personality traits except for Openness to Experience. Compared with controls, substance-dependent women scored significantly higher on Neuroticism and lower on Conscientiousness. Opiate-dependent females scored the highest on Neuroticism and on Extraversion and lowest on Agreeableness and on Conscientiousness. Alcohol-dependent females scored higher on Conscientiousness and lower on Neuroticism compared to opiate-dependent women. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study confirmed significant characteristics in personality profiles among females with alcohol and opiate dependence, as well as the difference between these two groups of substance abusers and their healthy controls. The distinct personality characteristics among different groups of substance addicted women should be taken into account when creating the most effective program of prevention and therapeutic approaches in this specific cohort.

Descartes and His Peculiar Sleep Pattern.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) was a mathematician, philosopher, and scholar, whose work set a foundation for modern science. Among other interests, he focused on locating the "core and the seat of the soul" and concluded that the pineal gland was such a structure. Recent scientific findings validate Descartes' deep interest in pineal gland, appreciating its role as part of the circadian rhythm system. On the other hand, the biographical information suggests that Descartes had an aberration of the circadian rhythm (delayed sleep phase). Coincidentally, this meant that one of the most important things in his private life and one of the most significant areas of his research intersected in an overlooked way.

Temperament and character modify risk of drug addiction and influence choice of drugs.

BACKGROUND: Drug addiction and alcoholism involve a complex etiopathogenesis with a variable degree of risk contributions from the host (person), environment, and addictive substances. In this work, temperament and character features of individuals addicted to opiates or alcohol are compared with normal controls to study personality factors in the overall risk for drug addiction. METHODS: The study was done in a permissive environment, with easy access to alcohol and heroin, which facilitated analyses of personality factors in drug choice. Participants included 412 consecutive patients (312 opiate addicts, 100 alcohol addicts) treated at the Specialized Hospital for Chemical Dependency in Belgrade, Serbia, and a community sample of 346 controls. RESULTS: Opiate addicts manifested antisocial temperament configuration (high Novelty Seeking, low Reward Dependence) coupled with high Self-transcendence (ie, susceptibility to fantasy and imagination). Alcohol addicts manifested sensitive temperament configuration (high Novelty Seeking coexisting with high Harm Avoidance). Immature personality was observed far more frequently in opiate addicts than in alcoholics or normals. CONCLUSIONS: Novelty Seeking appears to be a general risk factor for drug addiction. High Harm Avoidance appears to channel individuals with high Novelty Seeking towards alcoholism. Immature character traits and probable Personality Disorder increase the risk of illegal drugs. Based on equivalent research in nonpermissive environments, at least a portion of our opiate addicts could have developed alcoholism instead in environments with more limited access to opiates. Personality factors provide useful guidelines for preventive work with young individuals with personality risk factors for drug addiction.

[Dr Mladen Jankovic - personality and work (1831-1885)].

Dr Mladen Jankovic was born in Kanjiza, in the district of Banat, in 1831. He completed the Hungarian High School in Segedin, and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Budapest, in 1856. Upon graduation, he moved to Serbia, where he was assigned to the position of a physician in the town of Krusevac. One year later, he was urgently transferred from Krusevac and appointed a regional physician in the town of Jagodina. After succeeding in eradicating local epidemics there, he was urgently transferred to the town of Kragujevac. Dr Mladen Jankovic was the fourth regional physician in Kragujevac, from 1861 to 1865. As an expert on the issues of health legislation and health service organisation in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Dr Mladen Jankovic was again transferred to Belgrade in 1865, to the position of the City Administration physician. Due to the fact that the Mental Asylum "Dom za s uma sisave", which was founded in 1861, required a professional guidance, Dr Jankovic was appointed Director of this psychiatric institution in the same year. Namely, it was known that Dr Jankovic was appointed a temporary Director and physician at the Psychiatric Hospital "Dom za s uma sisave" by a Decree issued by Mihailo M. Obrenovic, upon request of the Minister for Internal Affairs. He maintained this position for sixteen years. He prepared himself for this duty in Germany, with the leading psychiatrist at the time, Wilhelm Gruzinger. Shortly afterwards, Dr Jankovic managed to adapt the health service and protocols for the treatment of psychiatric patients to the European standards at the time. Being a gifted, intelligent physician, with broad interests and experience, he was elected President of the Serbian Medical Society in 1873. During his term of office, the activities of the Serbian Archives were improved. Dr Mladen Jankovic was, at the same time, a member of several committees that were in charge of managing the health service in Serbia at that period. Among other merits, his organisational ability as the Inspector of the Health Institutes is worth mentioning. In that capacity, he re-organised eight district hospitals and suggested purchasing the necessary equipment. He also had certain experience in diplomacy, representing his country at the Vienna Congress, in 1881. On that occasion, he was also a veterinary medicine representative of the Kingdom of Serbia. It has been widely acknowledged that Dr Mladen Jankovic was a respectful figure in Serbia, and that his life and work are incorporated in the establishment of health service in Serbia.