Personality profiles and how they relate to drug consumption among young people in Spain

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objective of this work was to find out whether specific Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) profiles exist which may constitute a risk factor for the consumption of legal and illegal substances (alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive drugs, cannabis, cocaine and hallucinogens) by young Spaniards. MethodologyAn ad hoc prospective ex post facto design questionnaire was prepared covering socio-demographic data, consumption behavior and the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP, Jenkins Activity Survey Form H, JASE-H). The sample comprised 3816 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 from the province of Cordoba (Spain). ResultsHierarchical clustering was used to obtain 3 groups; one characterized by low scores (the TBBP group), one characterized by medium scores and the third characterized by hostility-competitiveness (the HC group). Logistic regression showed that membership of the HC group was a risk factor for the consumption of psychoactive drugs and illegal substances, while membership of the TBBP group was a protective factor for the consumption of legal substances. ConclusionsSpecific personality profiles were identified which constitute either a risk factor or a protective factor for substance abuse. These results will prove useful to drug consumption prevention and treatment programs focused on the above-mentioned personality profiles.