Substance abuse, comorbidity, and sensation seeking: gender differences.
Two hundred sixty-two probands and 261 of their relatives with DSM-III-R diagnoses of drug and alcohol abuse and/or anxiety disorders completed the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale. It was hypothesised that subjects with both substance abuse disorders and comorbid anxiety disorders would have lower sensation-seeking profiles than subjects with substance abuse alone. This was confirmed in women, with thrill- and adventure-seeking scores showing significant differences between pure substance abusers and those with a comorbid anxiety disorder, lending support to theories that substance abusers are a heterogeneous group. In men, there were fewer significant differences between diagnostic groups. If substance abusers are indeed a heterogeneous group, with some motivated by high sensation-seeking needs, a better understanding of these motivations can lead to more effective strategies of prevention and treatment, according to etiology.
Scourfield
J
J
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510-3223, USA.
Stevens
D E
DE
Merikangas
K R
KR
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010551:Personality; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*