The Relationship Between Selected Personality Traits and Severe Substance Abuse: A Basis for an Enhanced Rehabilitation Program

Abstract

Drug euphoria’s effect entices people despite the knowledge of its risks and the danger it poses on physical, legal, vocational, social, recreational, and occupational activities. Research tells us that most substance abusers have common personality traits that play a role in alcohol or drug problems. It also tells us that traditional forms of treatment for chemical dependency are not very successful with these people, as most of them return to using alcohol or drugs after treatment. When this happens, most of them become repeat offenders (Kushner et al., 2008; Mariani et al., 2008; Long, 2015; Pokhrel et al., 2010). Knowing that an individual has a unique personality, he/she has also had distinctive issues and underlying problems that predispose him to drug dependency. With the said contribution and importance of personality traits in the development of substance abuse, it is then the objective of this research to use this idea and determine its relationship to each other. The main aim of the study was to identify personality traits that have a significant relationship with severe substance abuse and used its results to propose an Enhanced Rehabilitation Program. Stratified random sampling with the help of Slovin’s formula was employed to determine the number of respondents. There were 104 young adult male drug dependents who served as respondents. General profiles of the respondents were analyzed through the use of the descriptive and inferential method. Objective, standardized personality inventory, and a semi-structured interview were employed to gather data. The findings revealed that majority of respondents are prone to exhibit orientation towards self-centeredness leading to impulsive behavior without regards for prior learning and consideration of negative consequences of their actions, and their behavioral manifestation leans towards self-harm, dependency, and poor emotional control. Likewise, the findings also showed that respondents have severe substance abuse that showed extreme problems in areas of medical, employment, alcohol use, drug use, family, and psychiatric. Personality traits, specifically in anxiety and borderline trait revealed to have a weak positive relationship with severe substance abuse. Rehabilitation workers under addiction facilities should be knowledgeable and competent in conducting appropriate intervention programs/sessions that target personality traits highly associated with drug dependency.