Dimensions of personality structure among patients with substance use disorders and co-occurring personality disorders: a comparison with psychiatric outpatients and healthy controls.
BACKGROUND
Although dual diagnosis has been a topic of great scientific interest for a long time, few studies have investigated the personality traits that characterize patients suffering from substance use disorders and co-occurring personality disorders through a dimensional approach. The present study aimed to evaluate structural personality profiles among dual-diagnosis inpatients to identify specific personality impairments associated with dual diagnosis.


METHODS
The present study involved 97 participants divided into three groups: 37 dual-diagnosis inpatients, 30 psychiatric outpatients and 30 nonclinical controls. Dimensions of personality functioning were assessed and differences between groups were tested using Kernberg's dimensional model of personality.


RESULTS
Results showed that dual diagnosis was associated with the presence of difficulties in three main dimensions of personality functioning. Dual-diagnosis inpatients reported a poorly integrated identity with difficulties in the capacity to invest, poorly integrated moral values, and high levels of self-direct and other-direct aggression.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study highlighted that a dimensional approach to the study of dual diagnosis may clarify the personality functioning of patients suffering from this pathological condition. The use of the dimensional approach could help to advance research on dual diagnosis, and it could have important implications on clinical treatment programs for dual-diagnosis inpatients.
Department of psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Rossella
R
Di Pierro
Department of psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: emanuele.preti@unimib.it.
Emanuele
E
Preti
Department of psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Nicoletta
N
Vurro
Department of psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Fabio
F
Madeddu
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*