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Personality and Substance Misuse: Evidence for a Four-Factor Model of Vulnerability

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Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness

Abstract

The emphasis made on the significance of personality in the development of substance use problems has varied substantially through the years. Although early research has focused on identifying a single personality trait that conferred risk for substance use and misuse, recent research has highlighted the complex nature and heterogeneity of substance use behaviours and profiles, identifying a number of traits and risk pathways to substance use problems. This chapter reviews the evidence which provides support for the important aetiological role of a number of personality traits in the development and maintenance of substance use problems. Four personality-based causal pathways to substance misuse are proposed that help to explain some of the underlying mechanisms linking substance misuse with other mental disorders. Finally, implications for prevention and clinical practise are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de recherche du CHU Ste-Justine, Université de Montréal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, H3T 1C5, Canada

    Natalie Castellanos-Ryan

  2. National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, 4 Windsor Walk, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    Patricia Conrod Ph.D.

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, CHU Hôpital Ste Justine, Montreal, Canada

    Patricia Conrod Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Natalie Castellanos-Ryan
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  2. Patricia Conrod Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Natalie Castellanos-Ryan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, Utrecht, 3584CG, Netherlands

    Joris C. Verster

  2. Dept. Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, President St. 67, Charleston, 29425, South Carolina, USA

    Kathleen Brady

  3. School of Medicine, Div. Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, New York University, First Ave. 550, New York, 10016, New York, USA

    Marc Galanter

  4. Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, National Addiction Centre, Windsor Walk 4, London, SE5 8AF, United Kingdom

    Patricia Conrod

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Castellanos-Ryan, N., Conrod, P. (2012). Personality and Substance Misuse: Evidence for a Four-Factor Model of Vulnerability. In: Verster, J., Brady, K., Galanter, M., Conrod, P. (eds) Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3375-0_4

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