Clinical Personality Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Study Focused on Sex Differences
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. Personality Disorders Assessment
2.3. Study Protocol
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Sample Characteristics
3.2. Sociodemographic Differences by Sex
3.3. Clinical Characteristics by Sex
3.4. Personality Trait Scores by Sex
3.5. Personality Clusters Trait Type Distribution by Sex
4. Discussion
5. Limitations
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Parmar, A.; Kaloiya, G. Comorbidity of Personality Disorder Among Substance Use Disorder Patients: A Narrative Review. Indian J. Psychol. Med. 2018, 40, 517–527. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Comorbidity of Substance Use and Mental Disorders in Europe: A Review of the Data; European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction: Lisbon, Portugal, 2015.
- Grant, B.F.; Stinson, F.S.; Dawson, D.A.; Chou, S.P.; Ruan, W.J.; Pickering, R.P. Co-Occurrence of 12-Month Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders and Personality Disorders in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2004, 61, 361–368. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2018; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), 5th ed.; American Psychiatric Pub Inc.: Washington, DC, USA, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Marel, C.; Siedlecka, E.; Wilson, J.; Rochesson, S.E.D.; Chu, D.; Fisher, A.; Mills, K.L. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Alcohol and Other Drug Use and Problematic Use among People Accessing Mental Health Treatment in Australia. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 2025, 59, 361–377. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Regier, D.A.; Farmer, M.E.; Rae, D.S.; Locke, B.Z.; Keith, S.J.; Judd, L.L.; Goodwin, F.K. Comorbidity of Mental Disorders with Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Results from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Study. JAMA J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1990, 264, 2511–2518. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Grant, B.F.; Saha, T.D.; June Ruan, W.; Goldstein, R.B.; Chou, S.P.; Jung, J.; Zhang, H.; Smith, S.M.; Pickering, R.P.; Huang, B.; et al. Epidemiology of DSM-5 Drug Use Disorder Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. JAMA Psychiatry 2016, 73, 39–47. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Grant, B.F.; Goldstein, R.B.; Saha, T.D.; Chou, S.P.; Jung, J.; Zhang, H.; Pickering, R.P.; Ruan, W.J.; Smith, S.M.; Huang, B.; et al. Epidemiology of DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III. JAMA Psychiatry 2015, 72, 757–766. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Balachandran, A.; Ramamurthy, P.; Thilakan, P. Prevalence and Correlates of Personality Disorders in Males with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome Undergoing Inpatient Treatment in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India. Indian J. Psychiatry 2023, 65, 356–360. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Delawalla, C.N.; Lee, T.T.C.; Keen, M.A. The Use of MMPI-3 Scales to Assess Personality-Based Vulnerabilities for Alcohol Use and Problems. Psychol. Assess. 2023, 35, 633–645. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Pagni, B.A.; Zeifman, R.J.; Mennenga, S.E.; Carrithers, B.M.; Goldway, N.; Bhatt, S.; O’Donnell, K.C.; Ross, S.; Bogenschutz, M.P. Multidimensional Personality Changes Following Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: Results from a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Am. J. Psychiatry 2025, 182, 114–125. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Nowakowska-Domagała, K.; Podlecka, M.; Stecz, P.; Lewandowska, A.; Sipowicz, K.; Kosmalski, M.; Pietras, T.; Mokros, Ł. The Relationship Between Selected Factors (Temperament, Bipolar Traits, Sleep Quality, Severity of Addiction) and Depressive Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Men. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 4072. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kovács, I.; Pribék, I.K.; Demeter, I.; Rózsa, S.; Janka, Z.; Demetrovics, Z.; Andó, B. The Personality Profile of Chronic Alcohol Dependent Patients with Comorbid Gambling Disorder Symptoms. Compr. Psychiatry 2020, 101, 152183. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Millon, T.; Grossman, S.; Millon, C. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III Manual, 3rd ed.; Pearson Clinical Assessment: San Antonio, TX, USA, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Case, N.F.; Brown, T.G. Examining the Predictive Potential of Depressed Mood and Alcohol Misuse on Risky Driving. Alcohol Alcohol. 2023, 58, 532–538. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Castelli, V.; Plescia, F.; Maniaci, G.; Lavanco, G.; Pizzolanti, G.; Brancato, A.; Cannizzaro, C. Alcohol Binge Drinking in Adolescence and Psychological Profile: Can the Preclinical Model Crack the Chicken-or-Egg Question? Front. Psychiatry 2022, 13, 996965. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Hjemsæter, A.J.; Bramness, J.G.; Drake, R.; Skeie, I.; Monsbakken, B.; Benth, J.Š.; Landheim, A.S. Mortality, Cause of Death and Risk Factors in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder Alone or Poly-Substance Use Disorders: A 19-Year Prospective Cohort Study. BMC Psychiatry 2019, 19, 101. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Welch, V.; Doull, M.; Yoganathan, M.; Jull, J.; Boscoe, M.; Coen, S.E.; Marshall, Z.; Pardo, J.P.; Pederson, A.; Petkovic, J.; et al. Reporting of Sex and Gender in Randomized Controlled Trials in Canada: A Cross-Sectional Methods Study. Res. Integr. Peer Rev. 2017, 2, 15. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- van Deursen, D.S.; Mobach, L.; Salemink, E.; Blankers, M.; Wiers, R.W. Cognitive Bias Modification as a Web-Based Intervention for Problem Drinkers: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Factorial Design. Behav. Res. Ther. 2025, 188, 104718. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Yoshimoto, H.; Kawaida, K.; Dobashi, S.; Saito, G.; Owaki, Y. Effect of Provision of Non-Alcoholic Beverages on Alcohol Consumption: A Randomized Controlled Study. BMC Med. 2023, 21, 379. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- DeJong, C.A.J.; van den Brink, W.; Harteveld, F.M.; van der Wielen, E.G.M. Personality Disorders in Alcoholics and Drug Addicts. Compr. Psychiatry 1993, 34, 87–94. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fernández-Montalvo, J.; Landa, N.; López-Goñi, J.J.; Lorea, I. Personality Disorders in Alcoholics: A Comparative Pilot Study Between the IPDE and the MCMI-II. Addict. Behav. 2006, 31, 1444–1448. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Echeburua, E.; de Medina, R.B.; Aizpiri, J. Comorbidity of Alcohol Dependence and Personality Disorders: A Comparative Study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2007, 42, 618–622. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kessler, R.C.; McGonagle, K.A.; Zhao, S.; Nelson, C.B.; Hughes, M.; Eshleman, S.; Wittchen, H.U.; Kendler, K.S. Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of DSM-III-R Psychiatric Disorders in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 1994, 51, 8–19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Millon, T.; Grossman, S.; Millon, C.; Meagher, S.; Ramnath, R. MCMI-III: Manual, 4th ed.; Pearson Assessments: Minneapolis, MN, USA, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Benjamini, Y.; Hochberg, Y. Controlling the False Discovery Rate: A Practical and Powerful Approach to Multiple Testing. J. R. Stat. Soc. Ser. B Stat. Methodol. 1995, 57, 289–300. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McHugh, R.K.; Geyer, R.B.; Chase, A.R.; Griffin, M.L.; Bogunovic, O.; Weiss, R.D. Sex Differences in Benzodiazepine Misuse Among Adults with Substance Use Disorders. Addict. Behav. 2021, 112, 106608. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Graziani, M.; Nencini, P.; Nisticò, R. Genders and the Concurrent Use of Cocaine and Alcohol: Pharmacological Aspects. Pharmacol. Res. 2014, 87, 60–70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Nolen-Hoeksema, S. Gender Differences in Risk Factors and Consequences for Alcohol Use and Problems. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 2004, 24, 981–1010. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ashley, O.S.; Marsden, M.E.; Brady, T.M. Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Treatment Programming for Women: A Review. Am. J. Drug Alcohol Abuse 2003, 29, 19–53. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Torgersen, S.; Kringlen, E.; Cramer, V. The Prevalence of Personality Disorders in a Community Sample. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2001, 58, 590–596. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Picci, R.L.; Vigna-Taglianti, F.; Oliva, F.; Mathis, F.; Salmaso, S.; Ostacoli, L.; Sodano, A.J.; Furlan, P.M. Personality Disorders Among Patients Accessing Alcohol Detoxification Treatment: Prevalence and Gender Differences. Compr. Psychiatry 2012, 53, 355–363. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Matano, R.A.; Locke, K.D.; Schwartz, K. MCMI Personality Subtypes for Male and Female Alcoholics. J. Personal. Assess. 1994, 63, 250–264. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- García-Carretero, M.A.; Novalbos-Ruiz, J.P.; Robles-Martínez, M.; Jordán-Quintero, M.A.; O’Ferrall-González, C. Psychopathological Profile and Prevalence of Dual Pathology on Patients with Alcoholic Dependence Undergoing Outpatient Treatment. Actas Esp. Psiquiatr. 2017, 45, 1–11. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
- de Medina, R.B.; Echeburúa, E.; Aizpiri, J. Gender Differences in Alcohol Dependence: Personality Variables, Psychopathological Profile and Personality Disorders. Psicothema 2008, 20, 218–223. [Google Scholar]
- Landheim, A.S.; Bakken, K.; Vaglum, P. Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Symptom Disorders and Personality Disorders Among Poly-Substance Abusers and Pure Alcoholics: Substance Abusers Treated in Two Counties in Norway. Eur. Addict. Res. 2003, 9, 8–17. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- He, H.; Xu, M.; Fei, Z.; Xie, Y.; Gu, X.; Zhu, H.; Wang, J. Sex Differences in Personality Disorders in a Chinese Clinical Population. Front. Psychiatry 2022, 13, 1006740. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Grijalva, E.; Newman, D.A.; Tay, L.; Donnellan, M.B.; Harms, P.D.; Robins, R.W.; Yan, T. Gender Differences in Narcissism: A Meta-Analytic Review. Psychol. Bull. 2015, 141, 261–310. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Klonsky, E.D.; Jane, J.S.; Turkheimer, E.; Oltmanns, T.F. Gender Role and Personality Disorders. J. Personal. Disord. 2002, 16, 464–476. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Paris, J. Gender Differences in Personality Traits and Disorders. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 2004, 6, 71–74. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mellos, E.; Liappas, I.; Paparrigopoulos, T. Comorbidity of Personality Disorders with Alcohol Abuse. In Vivo 2010, 24, 761–769. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
- Bleidorn, W.; Schwaba, T.; Zheng, A.; Hopwood, C.J.; Sosa, S.S.; Roberts, B.W.; Briley, D.A. Personality Stability and Change: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Psychol. Bull. 2022, 148, 588–619. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Roberts, B.W.; Walton, K.E.; Viechtbauer, W. Patterns of Mean-Level Change in Personality Traits across the Life Course: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Psychol. Bull. 2006, 132, 1–25. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Morey, L.C. Borderline Features Are Associated with Inaccurate Trait Self-Estimations. Borderline Personal. Disord. Emot. Dysregulation 2014, 1, 4. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Zimmerman, M. The Value and Limitations of Self-administered Questionnaires in Clinical Practice and Epidemiological Studies. World Psychiatry 2024, 23, 210–212. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Samuel, D.B.; Sanislow, C.A.; Hopwood, C.J.; Shea, M.T.; Skodol, A.E.; Morey, L.C.; Ansell, E.B.; Markowitz, J.C.; Zanarini, M.C.; Grilo, C.M. Convergent and Incremental Predictive Validity of Clinician, Self-Report, and Structured Interview Diagnoses for Personality Disorders over 5 Years. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2013, 81, 650–659. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Variables | Women | Men | p Value | p Value Subclass |
---|---|---|---|---|
Age | 46 ± 11 | 48 ± 10 | 0.19 | |
Marital status | ||||
Married/partner | 32 (28%) | 44 (43%) | 0.01 | 0.03 |
Divorced/separated | 48 (43%) | 28 (28%) | 0.025 | |
Single | 29 (25%) | 30 (29%) | 0.50 | |
Widow | 5 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 0.06 | |
Participants with children | 76 (67%) | 64 (63%) | 0.55 | |
Living with | ||||
Alone | 44 (38%) | 25 (25%) | 0.04 | 0.27 |
Own family | 48 (42%) | 42 (41%) | 0.89 | |
Family of origin | 20 (18%) | 32 (31%) | 0.018 | |
With friends | 1 (1%) | 3 (3%) | 0.99 | |
Institution | 1 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 0.99 | |
Educational level | ||||
Primary | 10 (9%) | 5 (5%) | 0.13 | |
High school | 37 (32%) | 44 (44%) | ||
Professional training | 33 (29%) | 30 (29%) | ||
University | 32 (28%) | 23 (23%) | ||
Employment situation | ||||
Active/working | 53 (47%) | 52 (41%) | 0.61 | |
Unemployed | 36 (32%) | 26 (26%) | ||
Pensioner | 25 (22%) | 24 (24%) |
Variables | Women | Men | p Value |
---|---|---|---|
Years of consumption | 15 ± 7 | 21 ± 7 | 0.001 |
Consumption pattern | 0.62 | ||
Regular | 98 (86%) | 90 (88%) | |
Occasional | 16 (14%) | 12 (12%) | |
Family member with toxic antecedents | 63 (55%) | 72 (71%) | 0.02 |
Secondary drug use | 0.001 | ||
Benzodiazepines | 14 (12%) | 2 (2%) | 0.005 |
Cannabis | 10 (9%) | 4 (4%) | 0.26 |
Cocaine | 24 (21%) | 37 (36%) | 0.013 |
Treatment type | 0.94 | ||
Outpatient Unit | 55 (48%) | 51 (50%) | |
Hospital Detoxification Unit | 37 (33%) | 33 (32%) | |
Residential Unit for Addiction | 22 (19%) | 18 (19%) |
Personality Clusters | Personality Traits | Women | Men | p Uncorrected | p Corrected |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cluster A Eccentric, Odd | Paranoid | 60 ± 20 | 53 ± 22 | 0.05 | Not Significant |
Schizoid | 56 ± 18 | 53 ± 19 | 0.36 | Not Significant | |
Schizotypal | 48 ± 21 | 42 ± 26 | 0.07 | Not Significant | |
Cluster B Erratic, Dramatic | Antisocial | 64 ± 13 | 65 ± 14 | 0.64 | Not Significant |
Borderline | 54 ± 19 | 54 ± 18 | 0.39 | Not Significant | |
Histrionic | 48 ± 22 | 39 ± 23 | 0.001 | 0.012 | |
Narcissistic | 60 ± 16 | 64 ± 17 | 0.13 | Not Significant | |
Cluster C Fearful, Anxious | Avoidant | 46 ± 25 | 43 ± 23 | 0.33 | Not Significant |
Dependent | 52 ± 24 | 46 ± 20 | 0.002 | 0.025 | |
Obsessive-compulsive | 54 ± 20 | 43 ± 19 | 0.001 | 0.012 |
Personality Cluster | Personality Trait | Level | Women | Men | p Uncorrected | p Corrected |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cluster A, Eccentric, Odd | Paranoid | 85–115 | 5 (6) | 2 (4) | 0.30 | Not Significant |
75–84 | 10 (12) | 12 (21) | ||||
60–74 | 71 (83) | 43 (75) | ||||
Schizoid | 85–115 | 2 (3) | 2 (4) | 0.99 | Not Significant | |
75–84 | 5 (7) | 4 (8) | ||||
60–74 | 61 (90) | 44 (88) | ||||
Schizotypal | 85–115 | 0 (0) | 1 (2) | 0.21 | Not Significant | |
75–84 | 0 (0) | 1 (2) | ||||
60–74 | 51 (100) | 41 (95) | ||||
Cluster B, Erratic, Dramatic | Antisocial | 85–115 | 5 (5) | 6 (8) | 0.64 | Not Significant |
75–84 | 11 (12) | 12 (15) | ||||
60–74 | 76 (83) | 61 (77) | ||||
Borderline | 85–115 | 4 (7) | 0 (0) | 0.12 | Not Significant | |
75–84 | 3 (6) | 3 (5) | ||||
60–74 | 48 (87) | 53 (95) | ||||
Histrionic | 85–115 | 1 (2) | 3 (16) | 0.07 | Not Significant | |
75–84 | 7 (16) | 5 (26) | ||||
60–74 | 36 (93) | 11 (92) | ||||
Narcissistic | 85–115 | 6 (9) | 10 (16) | 0.013 | 0.012 | |
75–84 | 8 (11) | 17 (28) | ||||
60–74 | 56 (80) | 34 (56) | ||||
Cluster C, Fearful, Anxious | Avoidant | 85–115 | 2 (5) | 1 (3) | 0.30 | Not Significant |
75–84 | 14 (34) | 5 (16) | ||||
60–74 | 25 (61) | 26 (81) | ||||
Dependent | 85–115 | 7 (13) | 0 (0) | 0.013 | 0.012 | |
75–84 | 13 (25) | 5 (15) | ||||
60–74 | 33 (62 | 28 (85) | ||||
Obsessive-compulsive | 85–115 | 3 (5) | 1 (6) | 0.092 | Not Significant | |
75–84 | 6 (10) | 6 (33) | ||||
60–74 | 51 (85) | 11 (61) |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Morera-Fumero, A.L.; García-Gómez, M.N.; Jiménez-Sosa, A. Clinical Personality Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Study Focused on Sex Differences. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 5062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14145062
Morera-Fumero AL, García-Gómez MN, Jiménez-Sosa A. Clinical Personality Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Study Focused on Sex Differences. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(14):5062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14145062
Chicago/Turabian StyleMorera-Fumero, Armando L., Maria Natividad García-Gómez, and Alejandro Jiménez-Sosa. 2025. "Clinical Personality Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Study Focused on Sex Differences" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 14: 5062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14145062
APA StyleMorera-Fumero, A. L., García-Gómez, M. N., & Jiménez-Sosa, A. (2025). Clinical Personality Patterns in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Study Focused on Sex Differences. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(14), 5062. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14145062