Personality organisation and flexibility in coping with stress in the group of alcohol-dependent individuals

Abstract

Introduction and objective: Psychoactive substance abusers are characterised by significantly stronger pathology of personality structure compared to non-addicted population. Therefore, identifying psychological resources that may provide a chance for more adequate functioning and effective treatment of these patients seems justified. One such resource is flexibility in coping, which helps reduce emotional tension and reinforces adaptive forms of functioning. The aim of the presented research was to verify whether there is a relationship between the dimensions of personality organisation and flexibility in coping among alcohol-dependent individuals, taking into account the age and gender of respondents. Materials and methods: The study involved 93 alcohol-dependent people, including 27 women (29%) and 66 men (71%) aged 20 to 77 years (mean, M = 43.72; standard deviation, SD = 12.83). The research used the Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO) by Otto F. Kernberg and colleagues (2001) in the Polish adaptation by Agnieszka Izdebska and Beata Pastwa-Wojciechowska (2013) and the Flexibility in Coping with Stress Questionnaire (Kwestionariusz Elastyczności w Radzeniu sobie ze Stresem, KERS-14) by Małgorzata Anna Basińska and colleagues (2021). Results: The research showed that more flexible coping strategies occur among those alcohol-dependent adults who use higher-order defence mechanisms and are characterised by greater identity coherence. The age was found to be a variable associated with a better personality organisation and greater flexibility in coping. Conclusions: Flexibility in coping is partially related to the dimensions of personality organisation in alcohol-dependent adults.