Personalilty characteristics, locus of control, and life stress as factors in relapse and recovery in a substance abuse sample.

Abstract

A set of psychometric tests were administered to a sample of individuals accessing addiction services. This study sought to 1) explore personality, locus of control, and life stress in relation to the duration of abstinence from substance abuse, and 2) determine if there were any aspects of personality that were common among those with either long or short bouts of achieved sobriety. Seventy-two chemically dependent men and women in a Northern Ontario, Canada sample participated in the study. Few differences were found between sobriety groups. Statistically significant gender differences were found on the MMPI-Repression scale and the MMPI-Masculine/Feminine scales. Significant personality differences were also found between individuals who were receiving mental health related prescription medication on the MMPI scales of Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviant, and Psychasthenia. Further significant differences were found between individuals who had a mental health diagnosis on the MMPI scales of Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviant, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia, and Anxiety.