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The Impact of Personality Disorders and Severity of Dependence in Psychosocial Problems

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Abstract

The comorbidity between Personality Disorders and Substance Use Disorders is well documented. Relationships between these two mental disorders are complex, and their concomitance generates poorer therapeutic prognosis and more severe psychosocial problems than either disorder alone. The purpose of this study was to compare three models of the relationship between personality disorders, substance use disorders and substance-related problems. Substance use disorder patients (n = 199) were recruited from outpatient centers for drug abuse care. The International Personality Disorder Examination Screening Questionnaire, European Addiction Severity Index and Substance Dependence Severity Scale were administered. For statistical analysis, t test, Pearson correlations and structural equation models were used. Patients with comorbidity showed more severe substance use disorder and more substance-related problems than patients without comorbidity. The three models fit well to the data, but two model with the effect mediation of severity of substance dependence between personality disorders and substance-related problems explained more variance observed. Considering the impact of personality disorders on family/social functioning, legal status and employment in these patients, integrated treatment models are needed to provide efficient care.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been funded by the grant “Diagnosis of the Severity of Dependence to Psychoactive Substances according to DSM-IV Criteria: Adaptation to Spanish of the Substance Dependence Severity Scale clinical interview (PI10/01155)’ from the Carlos III Institute of Health and the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF). The authors wish to thank the staff and patients of Huelva Provincial Drug Dependence Service.

Author Contribuions

Antonio J. Rojas, Fermín Fernández, Francisco González-Saiz y Óscar M. Lozano have been implicated in the study design.

Antonio Vélez-Moreno, Esperanza Torrico-Linares and Juan Ramirez-López have been involved in conducting interviews, in evaluator training, and data encoding.

Francisco Rivera, Antonio J. Rojas y Óscar M. Lozano have been involved in data analysis.

All authors contributed to the drafting and revision of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Depatment of Clinical, Experimental and Social Psychology, University of Huelva, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas, s/n, 21071, Huelva, Spain

    Antonio Vélez-Moreno, Francisco Rivera, Fermín Fernández-Calderón, Esperanza Torrico-Linares & Óscar M. Lozano

  2. Psychology Department, University of Almeria, La Cañada de San Urbano, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Antonio J. Rojas

  3. Huelva Provincial Drug Dependence Service, C/ Cantero Cuadrado, s/n, 21004, Huelva, Spain

    Juan Ramírez-López

  4. Community Mental Health Unit of Villamartín, Mental Health Hospital, Avda. De la Feria, 58. Villamartín, (Cádiz), Spain

    Francisco González-Saiz

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  1. Antonio Vélez-Moreno
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  2. Antonio J. Rojas
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  4. Fermín Fernández-Calderón
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  5. Esperanza Torrico-Linares
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  7. Francisco González-Saiz
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  8. Óscar M. Lozano
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Correspondence to Óscar M. Lozano.

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Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by a grant under the “Diagnosis of the Severity of Dependence to Psychoactive Substances according to DSM-IV Criteria: Adaptation to Spanish of the Substance Dependence Severity Scale clinical interview (PI10/01,155)’ Project from the Carlos III Institute of Health and the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF). Carlos III Institute of Health and EDRF had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

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Vélez-Moreno, A., Rojas, A.J., Rivera, F. et al. The Impact of Personality Disorders and Severity of Dependence in Psychosocial Problems. Int J Ment Health Addiction 15, 1008–1022 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-016-9696-9

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